


Picture Perfect

by crazystrings



Series: Murder Mystery's [1]
Category: South of Nowhere
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-20
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-01-25 20:20:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 78,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1661234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazystrings/pseuds/crazystrings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is a killer on the loose, will Ashley catch them in time to save her own family?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was a clear night, not a cloud in the sky which was odd lately. It had been an extremely rainy June so everyone cherished these clear, dry moments. I was enjoying the time on the balcony of the home I had recently shared with two of the most important people in my life. But they had been gone for weeks and here I stand with my service revolver held to my temple.

“I can’t do this anymore.” I whispered into the still night while tears rolled down my face.

The past year of my life had been hell, plain and simple. True there had been some bright spots provided mostly by my friends and the light of my life Sebastian, but the horrors I saw and lived through outnumbered the good.

The only one here to witness my final demise is the puppy Sebastian loves so dearly, our three year old terrier mix Zebbie. She was wiggling behind the door probably giving me puppy dog eyes but I couldn’t bring myself to acknowledge her or I might chicken out. I could hear her tail hitting the door, knowing all she wanted to do was come join me on the balcony but I couldn’t turn around. In a simple, slightly harsh tone I said, “Go get a drink Zebbie.” which the dog usually took as a cue for her to hide under the couch. But tonight she remained at the door whimpering slightly after she heard my voice. Could she sense how anxious and desperate I felt? Did she know what I was about to do? But that was impossible, she was just a dog.

I forced myself to stop thinking about the dog and focus on why I was out here. I looked around at the neighborhood I had grown up in, the neighborhood I had intended to raise a family in but that was no more. Tonight this was the neighborhood I would die in.

This was also the neighborhood where the horrors of the past year began. Four blocks away a killer took out their rage on a small family. The killer who consumed my nightmares for months as well as terrorizing an entire community. We finally apprehended them after seven more families suffered the same fate. The killer came frighteningly close to making it eight.

One of the good things to come from this killing spree was my girls. The four of us, representing four different sides of this case, spent countless hours talking over every aspect of this case. It had been a detail that Kyla, the medical examiner saw that broke the case wide open.

I should go inside and call one of them. They would all materialize at my door within five minutes of my first hello, of that I was sure. For some reason I could not do the logical thing right now, I was acting on pure emotion. The funny part of this is those two traits combined are what has made me the successful detective that I am.

In the field I am extremely methodical when looking at a crime scene, processing every detail I can find. Then when I’m with the loved ones of a victim I listen to what they say, almost as if I’m grieving with them which caused them to share details they may not share with less compassionate officers. My partner swears wither I have multiple personalities or I’m a robot because of my seamless transition between logic and emotion. She swears I may be the best partner in the department but I was not normal.

I guess I’m proving the not normal theory right tonight, because most homicide detectives don’t blow their brains out the day before the killer they hunted down goes to trial.  
Again I look down towards where this whole nightmare started, The Olsen’s house on 72nd and Beloit.


	2. Chapter 2

“Donovan don’t forget to clean your room after you play any two of Ysaye’s Six Sonates Pour Violon Suel young man,” yelled Jennifer from the kitchen.

“Mom, I just practiced for two hours. Is it time for recess yet?” Donovan shot back. “It’s really nice outside; I’m tired of being inside.”

Jennifer shook her head at her son’s response. “Not yet buddy, get playing.” She answered. Ever since spring began showing its head Donovan whined about going outside. For some reason he figured now that he was home schooled nice weather meant going outside. Jennifer had been more lenient than she had planned but the next few days were important. They had a newspaper interview then several auditions for late summer workshops. On paper her son had been accepted to three different programs all he had to do was audition in person to finalize the process. Then Chris, Donovan’s father, would decide where would be best for Donovan’s playing future.

Donovan came strolling into the kitchen wearing the best pouting face he could muster. “C’mon mom. A half hour break won’t make or break my future, ya know.”

Jennifer just sighed then replied, “I know sweetheart but your father will be home in about ten minutes and he expects to hear you practicing when he walks through the door.”

“Dad just needs to relax,” he mumbled.

“I know that, you know that but the idea can’t seem to penetrate your father’s thick skull.” Jennifer joked with her son. She treasured these moments with Donovan because the second Chris stepped into the house everything became very serious and intense.

“Why does he have to be so serious all the time? Did he forget that life is supposed to be fun too?”

“It’s just hard for him right now to relax.” Jennifer said sadly.

“But why do we all have to suffer his bad mood? So he lost the gym, big deal. Grandpa gave him a management job right away.”

“That’s it though sweetheart; it was a big hit to his pride having to go to his father for a job. It’ll get better, I promise.” Jennifer assured her son and gave him a hug. She glanced up at the clock and broke the hug. “Now back to practicing, he’ll be here any minute.”

“Alright mom, I’ll do it for you,” he smiled then gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before going back to his room. He opened the book directly to Sonate No. 2 and played the first movement Obsession, his mom’s favorite movement of all six sonate’s. As he poured over the notes he let all the anger and anxiety he felt about his father flow out of him. Donovan wasn’t physically afraid of his father. Some people were convinced that Chris was physically abusive towards his wife and son though Donovan was unaware of any actual violence. The thing he was afraid of was disappointing his father.

Chris was a hard working man who had built what he thought was a successful mixed martial arts gym from the ground up. Donovan learned at an early age that he wasn’t cut out for martial arts which had disappointed his father. But Donovan quickly took an interest in music, specifically playing the violin. Chris believed if you are good at something you must be the best, which fueled Donovan’s desire to master the violin and make his father proud.

The last six months had turned disastrous for the family though. They made the decision to home school Donovan because Chris was going to become an MMA fighter. He’d fought in a big local competition and won an MMA contract. They planned to travel together as a family to all his fights and could then easily relocate if he trained outside of Milwaukee.

Unfortunately Chris’ first professional fight didn’t go as planned. Two minutes into the first round Chris’ opponent landed a strong kick to his right knee causing it to buckle. Sensing Chris’ weakness his opponent grabbed his legs in a takedown which cause Chris’ knee to turn in an unnatural way. The result of this was a completely blown knee.

After costly surgery and physical therapy paired with a crook of an accountant Chris was left broke and broken, physically and emotionally. If possible Chris seemed to be more invested in his son’s future than before. He used to insist on three hours a day of practice but since he returned from the hospital Chris made Donovan practice four hours a day plus an extra half hour before for scales and a half hour after for Kruetzer Etudes. When Chris was working he insisted the sessions be taped so he knew his son had completed the required practice times.

Half way through the piece Donovan heard his father come in the house so he doubled his efforts. He had disappointed his father once, he had no intention of allowing that to happen again.


	3. Chapter 3

As a homicide detective I’m used to being in a courtroom. Actually throughout my career with the Milwaukee Police Department the District Attorney’s office has favored putting me on the stand. Apparently being a young female officer/detective who is knowledgeable and well spoken appeals to jurors and judges alike, and I’ve been told being attractive doesn’t hurt either.

Unfortunately most of these traits that have made me a good witness in the past may hurt me today. The only way any of my assets could work in my favor is if the female judge now taking the stand happened to like brunette women.

“All rise.” The bailiff began, “The honorable Judge Marcella Leigh Powell presiding.”

I took a deep breath hoping to calm my nerves. I had been hoping for weeks that this would go away or be settled outside a courtroom but here I was bright and early standing in front of a judge in family court.

“Mr. Dennison I see here you are petitioning for full custody of your five year old son Sebastian?” The judge asked as she glanced through the case file in front of her.

“Yes your honor.” Aiden said confidently.

“May I ask why the current arrangement of shared custody is not working?”

“Two reasons your honor.” Aiden began smugly. I used to find his arrogance endearing but now it was really starting to piss me off, but I had to remain calm at all costs. “The major issue is my ex’s job. She is the lead detective of the homicide division of the MPD.”

I immediately rolled my eyes. As I had suspected Aiden was going to deliver a speech written for him by his mother. I hadn’t really figured out why Aiden wanted to go through all this but now it was clear to me.

“I hope you’re not implying that a member of the police department, or any civil servant for that matter, is not capable of juggling their job and family Mr. Dennison.” Judge Powell injected.

The dumbfounded look on Aiden’s face almost made me laugh, it was priceless. The judge’s quick comment had derailed his train of thought, or more appropriately his mom hadn’t provided him an answer for a remark like that. Unfortunately he quickly regained his focus.

“Not at all your honor, I am only speaking of my ex and her specific job.” Aiden made sure to finish with the flirtiest grin he could manage.

“Do you have more specific concerns about Ms. Davies job?” Judge Powell replied with no sign of a reaction to Aiden’s advances, possibly score one for me.

“Of course your honor, I will continue. As lead detective, there are many demands on her time.” Aiden made sure to wave towards me. What, I stop sleeping with him and he forgets my name? “She’s called out to crime scenes day and night. I’m afraid our son is being looked after more by neighbors and friends than his own mother.” He finished with an emotional plea that was as fake as Pamela Anderson’s tits.

I felt a sense of relief that Aiden had kept his garbage spewing to a minimum but unfortunately that was short lived. He started up again after a short pause which he probably thought showed him regaining his composure. “Your honor I am also concerned about her lifestyle choices. She practically lives in a bar and I don’t know what kind of women our son is being exposed to or how many.”

“Alright Mr. Dennison, I think I’ve heard enough.” Judge Powell said as she turned to face me. I took a deep breath just before I heard, “Detective Davies, I have some questions for you about Mr. Dennison’s allegations.”

“Okay your honor.” I said with as much confidence as I could muster. Even though I was sure the judge wouldn’t by Aiden’s shit, this whole process still made me nervous.

“First of all, how time consuming is you job Detective?” Judge Powell asked with a slight smile.

A little more confidence flowed through me when I saw her smile, maybe she was already on my side before I even spoke. “I don’t deny that my job at time requires a lot of my attention your honor. But I have always devoted as much time as I can to my son while working hard to provide for him and myself.”

Judge Powell nodded then asked, “Detective, when Sebastian is in your care what happens when you are called away?”

“I call my sister who lives next door to me and normally he stays at her house.” I answered simply.

Aiden quickly interrupted, “Your honor her sister Kyla is the city’s chief medical examiner. Many times when Ashley is called away, Kyla is as well. I’m concerned about what happens then,”

“Be quiet Mr. Dennison. You had your chance to bring up your concerns. Now I am asking Detective Davies questions based on those concerns.” The judge warned then continued. “Detective, I was aware that your sister is the chief medical examiner and my next question was going to be, what does happen when your sister is also called to the same scene?”

I was ready for this question so Aiden’s interruption did not affect me. “Either Kyla’s husband watches him or I call Aiden to make arrangements. I only let people I completely trust take care of my son and I would never leave my son home alone. On occasion I have even had to call another detective to take the lead on a new case if I can’t find someone to watch Sebastian.”

“Now what do you have to say in response to Mr. Dennison’s claims about your lifestyle?” Judge Powell said to move along the proceedings.

“The bar he says I live in is my father’s bar, his after retirement pet project. I work there some days or stop in for a drink other days but only when Sebastian is with his father. Honestly your honor, between my jobs and my son I barely have time to sleep much less have much of a social life.” I admitted sadly. “I’m not sure where his idea about various women came from.”

“One last question, how long have you been with the Milwaukee Police Department?”

“About ten years your honor.”

“Thank you Detective Davies. Now Mr. Dennison I see here you have been unemployed for several months. And before that you were only employed a few months at a time for the three years before that?”

“That’s correct your honor.”

“How do you plan to support you and your son full time with no income? And if you mention child support I will not hesitate to dismiss this case.” Judge Powell warned sternly.

“Your honor, I am currently living with my parents until I get back on my feet.” Aiden said with a slight sense of nerves.

“Mr. Dennison you’ve lived with your parents for over three years. Are you confident you will find a steady job now? If not maybe we should include your parents in the proceedings seeing as they will be supporting you and your son.”

“Your honor.” I interrupted. I wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing but this had to end. Unfortunately Aiden had already made this ugly. “I think I have a compromise.”

“Go ahead Detective Davies.”

“I own a duplex and my tenant had to move home to care for his ailing mother. Aiden could live there and that way he’s there if I’m called away as well as being able to monitor Sebastian’s living environment.”

“Interesting idea. Mr. Dennison is this an agreement you would consider?”

“It could work.” Aiden said with a shrug.

“Detective Davies, what kind of financial agreement did you have in mind?”

“Honestly I’m not sure your honor. I’m more concerned about Aiden finding a job first; we can discuss the money issues once he is employed.” I hoped the judge would accept that non-answer.

“Alright, if both sides are in agreement?” She looked between us both and in unison we said, “Yes your honor.”

“Then I accept the arrangement. In three months you will both return for a hearing about how things are going. Mr. Dennison I hope by then you can report employment of some sort.”

“Yes your honor.” Aiden replied eagerly nodding his head.

“Dismissed.”

I quickly exited the courtroom. Aiden’s babbling had made me a half an hour late. I don’t know which made me more furious: Aiden’s arrogance, being late or being stupid enough to offer to support my ex financially. Any way around it, this was not a good way to start the day.


	4. Chapter 4

At 1:15 Donovan was finally free from his practice lair. Instead of trying to convince his parents to do anything outside the house he went to the classroom in the basement to study.

After grabbing a snack from his study food stash he started in on his math homework. He hoped he could finish his homework and get some outside time before the reporter arrived at 5:30.

A few minutes later Donovan heard the doorbell. He didn’t bother going upstairs because it was probably one of his dad’s friends coming over to watch a fight, no one important.

Chris opened the door apprehensively at first since neither he nor his wife was expecting any visitors for another four hours. When he saw the visitor he beamed and said, “Wow that was quick and home service too? Please come in.”

“Thank you Mr. Olsen. Where shall we look at these?”

“How about in the kitchen, there’s better light in there.”

The visitor grinned slightly while following Chris and thought, “Better light to watch your family die by.”

When they reached the kitchen it was empty. Chris called out, “Jennifer?”

“Yes honey?” she replied from the direction of their bedroom.

“Come back to the kitchen, you’ve gotta see these. Get Donovan too.”

“Chris he’s in the basement studying. Just call down to him. I’ll be out in a minute or two.”

Before Chris could call out to his son he was grabbed from behind and hand cuffed to the decorative bar along the counter.

“What the…” was all he was able to get out before a piece of duct tape was put over his mouth.

“Shah…” the visitor said, now standing in front of Chris. “Wouldn’t want to ruin the show by warning the family.”

Chris’ eyes went wide not only because of the words uttered but also the coldness in the voice of the person he had just welcomed into his home. By allowing them in he may have just put his family in mortal danger.

“Let’s just wait for the wifey to come in here shall we?”

Chris was sent into a panic when the visitor grabbed a large kitchen knife from the wooden block and positioned themselves out of sight, ready to pounce. About five minutes passed before Chris heard his wife leave the bedroom. He fought against his restraints to no avail. All too quickly though the moment of truth came and Jennifer appeared in the doorway.

An immediate look of confusion crossed Jennifer’s face. “Chris, what’s going on? Why are you…” Jennifer never finished her question. As soon as she crossed the doorway the visitor grabbed her chin, pulling it up to expose her neck and slit her from ear to ear. When they dropped their arms Jennifer dropped in a heap on the floor.

Chris tried to scream but the sound caught in his throat. Even if he could have yelled the tape would have muffled the sound. Thoughts were racing through his head, the most pressing being how was he going to save his son’s life. As the possibilities raced through his head he heard the sound he dreaded most at the moment, Donovan was coming upstairs.

Mere seconds after he opened the door, Donovan was a crumpled heap on the floor with a bullet between his eyes.

Chris again tried to scream, this time a muffled sound escaped as did many tears.

At the noise the killer turned around wearing an evil smile. “How does it feel to lose everything you did not hold dear enough Mr. Olsen.” The killer said before turning the gun on Chris. He closed his eyes and welcomed the bullet that would reunite him with his family. Without his wife and son he had nothing. He may not have been the most caring husband and father but they were his only reason for living.

Mercifully he only had to wait a few seconds before he heard the distinctive sound of a gun being fired with a silencer on it. Then everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

It was nearly six and I was ready to go home. Between court and the mountain of paperwork I had chipped away at for the rest of my day, I was drained. It had been quite the day and I just wanted to curl up on my couch and fall asleep to some stupid movie or a cheesy cop show.

As soon as my hand hit the down button on the elevator I heard, “Davies, wait up.”

I turned around and sighed, this could not be good. When the Captain comes chasing you down that means someone’s dead, and this late in the day it must be bad if he wanted me on it instead of one of the night detectives.

“I’m glad I caught you before you left. Call just came in, three victims dead on arrival. First responders say it’s pretty weird. I want you and Williams on it. You can call her on the way.”

“Alright Cap.” I had no choice but to agree, it was my job. “Where are we going?” I asked as I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

“72nd and Beloit. House is right on the corner, can’t miss it.” He said as he walked back towards his office.

That was only a few blocks from my house. The energy I had been lacking all day suddenly came flooding back into my system at that realization. I found my partners number in the elevator and hit call as soon as I stepped out since the elevator was infamous for having crappy reception. She answered on the second ring.

“Well since you have no social life I’m assuming this call is business, right partner?” she joked in lieu of a formal greeting.

“Yeah, are you home yet Hayley?” I asked figuring I already knew the answer. She hadn’t mentioned seeing a bunch of cop cars two blocks from her house yet.

“Nah, got take out from Wing Ho. Waiting at a red light at Beloit and Oklahoma. Why, where should I be heading?”

“Actually go home; put your food in the fridge then walk down Beloit, I’m sure you’ll see where to go. I’ll be there in about 20 minutes hopefully. How was traffic?”

“Not too bad considering all the construction. So are you serious, we’re investigating something in our own backyards?” Hayley asked.

“Yeah, see you soon.”

 

The Captain wasn’t lying when he said you couldn’t miss the crime scene. The neighborhood was lit up like a red and blue Christmas tree. As I walked up to the house I recognized many of the uniforms on scene as my neighbors. I assumed they felt as jolted as I did about this crime taking place in our neighborhood.

As I approached the door I saw my partner chatting with the uniform on the door.

Before actually entering I walked around the outside of the house to get a feel for the scene. I know some of my colleagues found my crime scene ritual silly but it had gotten me to lead detective so I stuck with it. Nothing seemed unusually disturbed around the house; whoever killed these people didn’t leave in a panic, they were calm. If it weren’t for the police cars, no one would know there was anything amiss.

As I rounded back to the front door Hayley approached me, “Hey lady, find any stray psychos in the backyard?”

“Unfortunately no, what have we got so far?”

“Three vics; man, woman and teenage by.” She ticked off as I signed in, put on latex gloves and paper shoe covers. “Looks like they were killed in the kitchen and moved to the dining room.”

I immediately looked at my partner and said, “Moved? All three of them?”

“Yeah,” she responded while shaking her head. “This is pretty weird honestly. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Captain did say this was a weird case. Do we know who the three vics are? Are they the residents of the house?”

“Don’t know yet.” Hayley said reluctantly. “We should head into the kitchen.”

“Yeah, okay.” I said slowly then added, “How do we not know if these people live here or not? Don’t people usually keep photos around; did anyone find a purse or a wallet lying around?”

“They’re looking, trust me Ash but it seems that any pictures that were in the house have been removed.”

“I guess that qualifies as weird.” I said with a slight shrug.

“That’s not the weirdest part of this whole thing so don’t get all sarcastic yet Davies. Let’s look at the kitchen then see what’s in the dining room. After we talk to you sister we’ll discuss the weirdness factor.”

As we walked towards the kitchen two scents hung in the air, garlic and blood. No matter how many scenes I’ve been to I’m still not used to the overwhelming smell of blood. My first visual of the kitchen revealed a few clues to what horrors transpired here earlier. There were two pools of blood; one by the basement stairs and one by the kitchen counter about ten feet away. There was a third smaller pool of blood by a doorway leading further into the house with a large amount of blood splatter on the surrounding surfaces making me think a knife wound. This was the first element of this crime scene that did seem odd to me, killers don’t usually use multiple weapons at the same scene.

Just before I could ask anything of the officers milling around the crime scene unit arrived so I turned to Hayley and said, “Let’s go check out the bodies and let these CSU boys work their magic.” I added a smile and nod to the head of the CSU team as he walked into the main crime scene and began to bark out orders.

“Good call cause your sister has been asking where you were.” Hayley replied.

Suddenly an all too familiar voice called out from the dining room. “If you’re going to use so many of my words you may as well quote me correctly Williams. I believe I asked ‘does anyone know where the hell my big sister is?’”

I immediately began laughing not only because of Kyla’s quick attitude but also at the priceless look of annoyance on my partners face.

“You don’t have to sound so snippy Davies.” Hayley grumbled loudly.

Kyla smirked and replied, “Well if you could quote me correctly I wouldn’t be so snippy.”

I’m not sure how I contained my laughter but I did. If someone actually looked closely at me they would have seen my shoulders shaking while I nearly bit my lower lip off but I wouldn’t be able to contain myself if this continued much longer. Thankfully Hayley let me off the hook quickly.

“I think I’m gonna go talk with the first responders. They’ve got to be easier to talk to than you Davies.” Hayley finished with an eye roll towards Kyla before walking towards the front door of the house.

A goofy grin appeared on my sisters’ face as she watched my partner make her exit. Then she turned to me and shrugged before saying, “What? Was it something I said?”

That sent me over the edge, I began laughing. It was completely unprofessional for me to be laughing but I couldn’t help it. Watching these two women interact was comedy in motion. I even heard some of the CSU techs who had overheard the exchange laughing.

“You know Ky; it’s amazing she still works with me after the hell you always put her through.”

Kyla laughed and replied, “C’mon sis she’s a homicide detective, she needs thicker skin. This is not a business for the weak.”

“She’s not weak and you know it.” I responded and lightly punched Kyla in the arm. “And don’t let me hear you saying shit like that again. People who don’t know us may think you’re serious.”

Kyla waved her hand dismissively, “Oh please sis everyone knows that Hayley is another Davies. She’s just the sister that appreciates giving me shit and getting it right back. You’re the sensitive one.”

“Whatever.” I said and walked into the dining room. I looked around and took in the bizarre scene. Seated at the head of the table was the body of an adult male, across from him was an adult woman and on the side of the table was the teenage boy. It looked like a normal family gathered for dinner except for the fact that they were all dead.

“You slipped into detective mode didn’t you sis?” Kyla asked after I had been quiet for too long by her account.

“Yeah, sorry. It tends to happen at crime scenes. So what exactly am I looking at here sis?”

“Meet John Doe, Jane Doe and little Johnny Doe. Beyond that you’re guess is as good as mine. The two males don’t have wallets and no ones found a purse that I know of. Johnny Doe resembles John Doe a bit in facial structure but I can’t be certain of that due to the bullet wounds on each victim. You were told about the lack of personal photos in this house, right?”

“Yeah, Hayley mentioned that.” I replied then noticed a table in the corner where it appeared picture frames were missing, at least from the visible dust lines. Someone had removed these frames on purpose if that’s what had been there, but why? It was possible it wasn’t the killer but the most obvious explanation was the logical place to start. I turned back to Kyla and asked, “Well what can you tell me?”

“Given that rigor has set in, time of death is at the latest 3:30pm but I would guess probably a few hours earlier so maybe around noon or 1.”

“Well that’s something.” I said with an eye roll. I hated this part, having to wait for information. Kyla was one of the best medical examiners if not the best in the state but she wasn’t a miracle worker, she needed time to do three autopsies.

I kept looking around the dining room looking for anything that could help but the scene was so bizarre. It looked like a family sitting down to dinner together, complete with place settings and a pitcher of lemonade. They looked like the picture perfect family if you looked past the fact they were dead.

“So have you figured out why the psycho left the happy family ready for dinner yet? Hell, the scene’s complete with food cooked in the crock pot none the less.” Kyla chimed in.

“I wish. So far this crime scene makes no sense to me whatsoever, but it’s still early.” I said with a slight smirk. I know I’m good at my job so I can afford to be a little cocky at times.

“But it will because the Davies sisters are brilliant, even that tag along you’ve had as a partner forever. I’ll find the scientific proof and you’ll do your creepy get inside the killers head thing, then Hayley will get to slap some cuffs on a no good murderer.” Kyla stated with a smirk matching my own.

“Hey Ash, I got someone you should talk to.” Hayley broke into the conversation.

I was slightly annoyed because I wasn’t done looking through the crime scene. “Can’t you take care of it, or get one of the uniforms to do the interview? We still need to look around a bit more; as of now we’ve got next to nothing about this case.”

“I suppose,” Hayley said with a shrug. “I just thought you might want to talk to a possible suspect in person.”

This statement got my attention real quick, “Wait, we have a suspect already?”

“Possibly, she was lurking around outside and seems to know a lot about what is going on in here. If she wasn‘t the one who killed these three she may have seen who did.”

“She?” Kyla and I questioned at the same time.

“Hey I know it’s rare but women can be a bit unbalanced too.” Hayley said with a slight smile.

“Don’t I know it.” I said without thinking. “Wow, I probably shouldn’t have said that out loud.”

“Well beyond the usual crazy women in day to day life, some are killers. You know in America female serial killers account for 8% of all American serial killers. Although that 8% accounts for 76% of all female serial killers worldwide.”

“Look at you partner with statistics at the ready, but no one said anything about a serial killer.”

Hayley shrugged then replied, “Valid, but I was just throwing it out there.”

“It’s actually something to consider Ash. The killer not only killed these three they also created this picture for us to find and decipher. This type of attention to detail could lean towards a possible serial killer.” Kyla stated.

“Alright this weird crime scene just got way creepier cause my two feuding sisters are now agreeing on something.” I replied with a smirk. “Let’s go interview this woman partner. Maybe we’ll get lucky and this bizarre case with be the quickest one we’ve ever closed.”


	6. Chapter 6

There was a crowd of neighbors congregating outside the Olsen home. The normally quiet neighborhood was buzzing due to the police presence. Rumors flew through the crowd but no one really knew the horrors that occurred within the home.

No one, that is except one seemingly unassuming person. After having gone home the killer couldn’t help but return and witness the chaos they created. The act of killing those three people created such a feeling of euphoria, but this was actually more exciting. Seeing the fear in these people’s eyes was amazing, the wild stories scaring them more with each version.

“Look at them all,” the killer thought. “I caused all of this. I created this beautiful scene with three simple acts; one perfect picture, one beautiful day.”

The killer’s musing was interrupted when two women exited the house.

“Well, well, who do we have here?” the killer quietly whispered. “I’ve always had a soft spot for brunettes.” They mused while quickly snapping a picture with their cell phone. “We will meet again.”

“Excuse me, do you live around here?” a young looking uniformed officer asked.

“Yeah just down the block. Why is there a problem officer?” the killer said calmly.

“Not at all, we just need to question all the neighbors. Do you have a moment to answer a few questions?” he responded.

“Well anything I can do to help.” the killer said as they walked with the officer to a quiet corner. With a smirk the officer couldn’t see the killer thought, “You have no idea what I did.”

 

“Where are we heading Hayley?”

“27th street station, uniforms on scene figured it would be easier to do delecate interviews in private.” Hayley responded as we pulled into a street spot outside the station.

There was a uniform at the door who escorted us to an interrogation room. He seemed nice enough but I could tell he wanted to be back at the scene, hell so did I.

I looked in on our suspect through the two way mirror then turned back to the young officer, “How did you find this suspect?”

“Spoke with her when we got there, she’s the one who called 911. She knew a lot about the inside of the house and just seemed a bit off. We thought it was a bit suspicious so we brought her in.”

“Thanks.” I said with a smile then turned to Hayley. “Ready?”

“Let’s do this.” Hayley said as she opened the door.

I calmly strolled into the room and looked directly at the suspect fidgeting at the table. “Hi, I’m Detective Davies, this is my partner Detective Williams.”

The woman at the table stood and held out her hand, “Hi, Madison Duarte. I’m a reporter for the Journal Sentinel.”

“Nice to meet you Ms. Duarte.” I said as I sat down at the table across from her. “Please have a seat. We just have a few questions for you.”

Hayley began with the questions, “So why were you at the house on 72nd and Beloit?”

“I was there to interview the family for the community page. Donovan Olsen won a concerto competition but on by the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. The competition was for 13-18 year olds and he was the youngest ever to win at 13 and two weeks.” Madison replied, a slight edge to her voice.

“When did you arrive at the house?” Hayley followed up.

“About 6pm. The interview was scheduled for 5:30 but I was running late. I tried calling the house several times but never got an answer.

“When you arrived at the house what happened?” I spoke up. There was something off about this woman but I hadn’t yet placed what it was.

Madison took a deep breath then began, “I knocked on the front door and it just opened a bit. I thought it was weird so I peaked around the side of the yard to see if they were out back but I didn’t see anyone.”

Damn, I missed that. The grass was a bit long so I should have seen where someone would have walked. Unless of course she was lying and she never walked around the yard. I could tell Madison was becoming upset so I put on my serious yet encouraging expression. “Go on.”

After a few more deep breaths Madison looked composed enough to continue. “I went back to the front door, opened the door a little more and called into the house. When no one answered I got concerned and went in.”

“You didn’t think to call the police Ms. Duarte?” Hayley inserted.

I had thought the same thing. A woman this high strung emotionally would usually dial the cops after the first knock but instead she entered the house.

“I just thought they were busy inside and didn’t hear me. They do have a 13 year old boy, he may have that he closed the door but didn’t. I never thought something bad had happened.”

“Okay, so you’re in the house. What next?” Hayley asked hoping to move this interview along.

“I kept walking in calling out as I went. I made it to the dining room doorway, smelled blood, turned around and saw those three just sitting there. I high tailed it outside and called 911.” Madison finished.

It could be a believable story, I thought, but Madison talks with her hands a lot which lead me to a clue. “What happened to your left hand Ms. Duarte?” I asked.

“I think I hit my hand harder than I thought as I ran out of the house.” Madison replied as if just realizing her hadn’t and wrist were bloodied by cuts.

“We’ll need to collect a blood sample and fingerprints from you.” I paused to look for a reaction, she revealed nothing. “Since you were in the house we’ll need to exclude you from the possible suspect samples.

Madison shrugged then said, “I’ve got nowhere to be since I called my boyfriend. He’s holding down the fort with our son so I can stick around as long as you need to take whatever samples you need.”

“Thank you Ms. Duarte. We’ll get the ball rolling so it’s shouldn’t be too much longer.” Hayley said then got up.

Once I closed the door behind us we both looked back in through the glass. “I’m not sure what to make of this reporter.”

“Her story is plausible honestly.” Hayley had to admit.

“Yeah, and she had no problem giving us prints or DNA.” I gave in.

“But that hand is pretty banged up. Gotta imagine if someone her size committed those crimes we saw the aftermath of, she’d be bound to get banged up.” Hayley said.

“True but I don’t think it’s her.” I said. “But on the plus side we know who she went to see at the house so maybe we are one step closer to identifying the Doe family.”

“I’ll call in the name of the kid and see what we get.” Hayley said as my phone rang.

We both talked on our phones for a few moments with Hayley finishing first. “Who was that?” she asked after I hung up.

“Let’s go. And keep your claws retracted please? Kyla’s got something already.” I said and gave my partner a wink.

“This night just gets better and better.” Hayley said jokingly complete with an eye roll.


	7. Chapter 7

I walked into the morgue about ten minutes after Kyla’s call. “Alright sis, I don’t want to hear any smart ass comments or jokes, let’s just see what you found.”

“Okay Miss Grumpy.” Kyla replied with a sly smile. “Step into my lair.”

We followed her to the autopsy room. There were only two tables so only the two adult were visible. The thing I found strange was that they had yet to be processed.

“We only got as far as getting them laying flat and started taking inventory.”

“So why call us down here Kyla? Shouldn’t you at least wait til you have one autopsy done first?” Hayley questioned impatiently.

“Gees, you’re both grumpy. What the hell?”

“Sorry we’re not a barrel of laughs Ky but three people are dead and we don’t even know who they are for sure.” I said a bit more harshly than I intended to be.

“Well I can hopefully improve your moods and unofficially confirm the identities of our three vics.” Kyla said choosing not to acknowledge my tone. She knew that when I was stressed I lashed out at people. Most people took offense to my behavior but Kyla knew me well enough to not take it to heart.

“How’s that?” Hayley asked.

“I’m glad you asked, come over to the computer.” Kyla replied. “When we got back here I had the guys set up while I googled Donovan Olsen.”

“Where did you get that name?” Hayley quickly asked.

“At the scene.” Kyla responded as if that should have been obvious.

“But from who?” I followed up.

“Come on guys, you know cops at crime scenes gossip worse than women in a hair salon. A couple of guys were talking about some reporter who was there to interview the kid.” Kyla explained. “But back to the important thing, I found his face book page complete with contact information and family photos. There’s even a picture of Donovan in front of the house we were at and from the other pictures these people certainly look like our three victims. We’re waiting on dental records or DNA to confirm who they are.” Kyla finished.

“Is that all you’ve got for us right now Ky?” I asked. I appreciated what my sister had come up with but I also had two issues with it as well. First of all we had investigators who were running down leads about Donovan and she had nothing confirmed yet.

“Well there’s something else I can tell you that’s completely unhelpful about who these people are but informative about the killer.” Kyla said heading over to the tables. She picked up the mans hand and turned it over. “The pads of their fingertips have been burned off from the top joint to the tip.”

“The fingertips are gone?” Hayley asked the obvious question then continued, “Do they still have teeth?”

Hayley asked exactly what I was thinking. At the house the killer had removed all picture and wallets. Now removing the fingerprints from the bodies. Usually if a killer goes to the trouble of removing one identifying feature they normally get rid of much as they can.

“Yeah I checked, that’s why one of the things we’re waiting on is dental records to confirm identity.” Kyla said trying to keep the sarcasm to a minimum.

“Sorry, you did say that didn’t you?” Hayley replied with a slight smile. “I think the long day is catching up with me.”

Kyla shrugged, “It happens.”

“Look at you two actually getting along.” I commented with a smile. “Who would have though it was possible.”

“I have my moments.” Kyla laughed then switched into work mode at break neck speed. “That’s all I have for now. You ladies are more than welcome to stay and watch the autopsies which I need to get started with. I’d like to try and get at least one done before I need to run home and get the boys up.”

“Where’s Jackson?” I asked.

“Oh please my husband is harder to wake up than the twins.” Kyla replied with a laugh as she put on some fresh gloves.  
I considered staying just to be able to get any details immediately but honestly I was dead on my feet and didn’t feel like falling asleep at the morgue. “Well sis though I’d love to hang out, I think I’m gonna pass on the autopsy. It’s been a really long day and I need a few hours of down time.”

“I’m with you partner.” Hayley eagerly agreed. No doubt she was thinking about her Chinese takeout chilling in her fridge or sleep.

“Okay, you ladies will be my first and second calls if I find anything else weird or helpful.” Kyla said as her assistant Clay walked up.

“Ready to start?” he asked quietly making sure to only look at Kyla.

“Yes Clay, the detectives were just leaving. Apparently they feel sleep is something a person actually needs.” She joked which made Clay smile slightly. Kyla then gave me a big hug and whispered in my ear, “We’ll talk about your day In court tomorrow. You okay?” she then quickly pulled back and looked me in the eyes.

Unfortunately I could not lie to my sister, she could see right through me. I took a deep breath and said. “I’m as okay as I can be right now.”

 

When I finally walked into my house all I wanted to do was collapse, but my son’s dog Zebbie was wiggling frantically the second I walked in the door. I knew my nephews had been over to play with her earlier in the say but we had a routine. No matter what time I came home we always took at least a twenty minute walk but usually it was longer.

I quickly changed into comfy clothes and we set off on our walk. I let Zebbie lead the way through the neighborhood and let my mind wander to the few details we had about the case thus far. We knew there were two methods the killer used; the woman’s throat had been slit and the two males had been shot and the killer took both weapons. We assumed the victims are the Olsen’s but there was no apparent motive. I had a preliminary report about the family and there were no red flags to indicate any illegal activity that may attract this type of violence.

Zebbie’s excited bark brought me out of my thoughts. I hadn’t realized til that moment that we had made our way to the scene. She was excited because one of our neighbors was approaching us.

“Well if it isn’t Ashley and Zebbie, you girls are out late tonight.” Jeff said with a tired smile then knelt down to pet Zebbie. Like many of my neighbors, he worked for the city. He was a beat cop.

“Yeah today was a long day.” I replied and nodded towards the house.

“This is a nasty one.” He said with a nod. “I head you and Hayley were lead on this one. Have you guys caught any breaks yet?”

“I wish. CSU still here?” I asked. From where we were standing I couldn’t see if the van was still on scene or not.

“Yeah, they’re still here. They are going through everything in the house with a fine toothed comb.” Jeff replied.

“Well if they find anything feel free to run with it Jeff. I will gladly give credit to anyone who can solve this one.” I said half joking. It would be nice to have this mystery solved, I didn’t care who broke the case.

He nodded, “I get that. And trust me there are plenty of people invested in this once since this is our neighborhood. Not to say that other cases are less important but…”

I held my hand up and nodded, “I get it, no worries.”

He stood and nodded.

After a few moments I decided Zebbie and I should head home so I said, “We should get going. Have a good night Jeff and be safe.”

“You too Ashley.” he responded and headed back to the house.

Murders were always unsettling but the fact that this happened in my own neighborhood made me more motivated than ever to find the killer. Plus given the number of civil servants who lived in this neighborhood I know I had plenty of backup.


	8. Chapter 8

“Tony, you are going to put away that phone when we get our picture taken right?” Theresa Garcia joked with her son while they waited outside the portrait studio.

“I will if Mom will, Mama T.” he responded with a sly grin.

Theresa looked over at her partner of ten years and rolled her eyes. Jamie stood a few feet away speaking urgently into her phone. “I’ll tear it out of her hand if I have to.” she joked with her son.

“You may need to surgically remove it; I can’t remember the last time it wasn’t in her hand.” Tony said sarcastically. “Does she sleep with it attached to her ear? I can’t imagine that helps your…”

Theresa quickly cut her son off, “That’s enough young man.”

“I was just joking Mama T.” he said with a shrug.

“I know but you were about to go a bit to far son.” Theresa replied.

Although she was able to hide her emotions from her expression, her son’s joking hit a little too close to home. Jamie had recently opened a third restaurant which like the other two, consumed her every waking moment and a lot of the time she should have been sleeping too. This left very little time for family time and virtually no couple time for the last few years. This appointment for a new family picture was made a month in advance and Jamie still almost missed it, Theresa actually had to let the family with the appointment after them go for their pictures first because Jamie was running late.

“Theresa?” the photographer approached her, “Is everyone ready to go?” she finished and looked around happily.

Theresa frowned slightly looking over at Jaime who was still intensely talking on her phone. She took a deep breath and walked over to her partner. Lightly touching Jamie’s should she said, “Hon, they’re ready for us.” ending with a loving smile.

“Hold on a sec.” Jamie said into the phone then turned to Theresa. “Can I have just five more minutes sweetie? Carl is getting the run around from our seafood distributor. I’m on the line with them right now. It shouldn’t take much longer I swear.”

“Alright.” Theresa said trying to hide the disappointment. “Tony and I will get started. I did want to get some individual sots of Tony anyways.”

“Great.” Jamie said hugging Theresa. “I swear, only five more minutes.”

Theresa walked back over to the desk and spoke with the photographer, “Could we start with some shots of just our son? She’ll be ready in a few minutes for the full family shots.”

“Not a problem.” The photographer said with a grin and turned to Tony. “You ready?”

As they walked into the backroom where the pictures were taken she thought. “This family is perfect. I will create family photos people will never forget.”

 

It took over a month but Aiden finally complied with the judge’s orders and moved into the downstairs of my home. I had moved a lot of my stuff to the upstairs apartment so Aiden and Sebastian could live in the larger space downstairs. I also figured Sebastian would be happier in his own room and I didn’t want to listen to Aiden bitch about having to live upstairs.

On the job front things were not going well. We were a month into the investigation of the Olsen’s murder and all we had was that the three victims were indeed Chris, Jennifer and Donovan Olsen. It was extremely frustrating but there was nothing I could do. This killer had managed to leave absolutely no trace of themselves at the crime scene and we could find no similar cases in the area. There were home invasion cases but none were of this variety. It didn’t make sense, why would someone go to so much trouble to stage an elaborate scene then leave no clues to what they were after. But today wasn’t the say to think about the case because it was Sebastian’s birthday, the one of the few days I always take off from work no matter what.

“Mama, is it time for presents yet?” Sebastian asked enthusiastically.

I had to laugh because he was wiggling nearly as much as our puppy Zebbie. “No honey, it’s only breakfast time. You’ve got to wait a few hours yet for your party.”

As I set down the chocolate chip pancakes for my son, Aiden came busting into the kitchen with a huge wrapped present and a bundle of brightly colored balloons. “Hey birthday boy.” he yelled and slid Sebastian’s breakfast plate out of the way putting the present in front of him.

“Present!!” Sebastian squealed then looked at me. “Can I open it Mommy?”

Aiden butted in and said, “Of course you can, it’s your birthday little man. You can do whatever you want.”

Even with Aiden’s permission Sebastian kept his eyes on me. I knew I was being put in the bad guy role by my wonderful ex but I wouldn’t let him succeed. “Go ahead buddy; see what your Daddy got you.” I said with a smile then walked over to Aiden and whispered, “Or what Grandma and Grandpa bought for Daddy to give you, right?”

“What does it matter who bought the present?” he hissed back. “I’m just trying to make his birthday a big day.”

“Well good job starting it off trying to make me the bad guy.” I hissed back. Two could play at this stupid little game.

“Look Mommy, it’s a new scooter!! It’s got Transformers on it.” Sebastian said with a huge grin. “Thanks Daddy!”

“See you’re not the bad guy.” Aiden whispered.

“I said you tried to make me the bad guy. I didn’t say you’d be successful, don’t misquote me Aiden.” I said quietly with a satisfied smirk. “Alright little man, eat your breakfast. If you eat it all you can go play with your new scooter in back for a while before you have to get ready for your party.” I grabbed the box from the table and moved his plate back in front of him.

He enthusiastically dug in and I knew he just wanted to go out and play. After ten minutes of solid eating I had a syrup covered son grinning up at me holding his plate up for inspection. “Alright little man, let’s get you cleaned up then outside.”

I decided to sit outside with Sebastian and try to relax before the craziness of the party begins. As I was thinking about the army of children that was going to be invading my house my phone rang. The caller ID showed someone I did not want to talk to or even think about today.

“Captain, I hope this is a call to wish me luck with the party today.” I said as a greeting.

“I wish that’s all this was Ashley. You know I normally wouldn’t bother you today but this is important. A buddy of mine works with the Waukesha county Sheriff’s department and they were called in on a case with some similarities to the Olsen case.” The Captain explained.

“You’re kidding me right?” I could not believe what I just heard. Nothing for almost two months now today of all days this person decides to show their face.

“I wish I was. I just thought I would give you a heads up. I already sent Hayley to the scene. She’ll get as much information as she can then fill you in later.”

“Thanks Captain.” I said. I was thankful that he wasn’t making me go to the scene myself. “I’ll check in with Hayley later.”

We talked for another couple minutes. When I got off the phone Kyla was sitting right next to me. “What was that about?”

“You don’t want to know.” I said shaking my head. “I didn’t want to know what I just heard.”

“There was another one wasn’t there?” She asked.

I nodded and sighed, “Most likely. New Berlin has a scene that has a few similarities to the Olsen murder.”

“You want to go check it out don’t you?” Kyla asked knowingly.

“No, Captain sent Hayley out there. I’ll talk it through with her after the party.” I said then looked at Sebastian rolling around the patio with a huge grin on his face. “I need to be here, no question.”

“A greed, you need a happy day just as much as he does.” Kyla said with a smile. “Then tonight we’ll go through what Hayley comes up with when Sebastian is fast asleep.”

I rolled my eyes, “Great, a wonderful night to look forward to.”


	9. Chapter 9

From noon until four my house and backyard was the scene of mass chaos. Sebastian’s closest friends, twenty five of his classmates from the two five K classes at his school and a few other neighborhood kids with their families invaded my property to celebrate his sixth birthday. I was completely overwhelmed with the details that went into ensuring both kids and parents remained happy. I thought I had enough food and beverages to provide for a small army yet I still had to send Kyla out a couple times to replenish the supplies. Who knew kids could eat so much while constantly running around like fools? Or that their parents could drink so much in such a short amount of time.

Just like the previous five birthday parties, I didn’t get to enjoy much of the festivities but the few glimpses I got of Sebastian made all the stress worthwhile. He was having the time of his life, which was all that mattered. I also saw Aiden being his normal lazy, useless self but the beaming smile on my sons face allowed me to keep my temper in check.

According to Aiden the party went off without a hitch. Of course he got to play with all the kids while I kept the tables full and cleaned up after everyone. I guess it was all a matter of perspective when it came to the success of the party.

After all the excitement of the day, luckily Sebastian was pooped out. He barely stayed awake during dinner, a few times I thought he was going to land face first in his Macaroni and Cheese.

Once he was tucked into bed and things were sorted in the house I headed outside where Hayley and Kyla were already discussing the crime scene in New Berlin I assumed. After Hayley arrived at the party around two I really wanted to pull her aside and get the run down of the scene. She could tell and assured me that murder could wait until after Sebastian was safely in dreamland just like Kyla had earlier in the day.

“So what have I missed so far?” I asked as I grabbed an MGD from the remaining cooler and sat down at the patio table.

“First of all what took you so long?” Kyla asked with a laugh. “Did my nephew get his second wind after his sleepy dinner?”

“No.” I replied with a sigh. “I think he sleep walked through brushing his teeth and changing into his pj’s. He was out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Now Aiden on the other hand was cranky and wanted to pick a fight.”

“What does he have to be cranky about? He’s not the one who had to run to Target twice for potato chips, hot dogs and juice boxes then once to Discount Liquor for more beer. I never thought so much alcohol would be consumed at a six year olds birthday party.” Kyla responded with a laugh.

“Hey when most people live within walking distance why not get trashed, I guess. Plus I think people in the neighborhood are still shaken by the murder and where safer to get drunk than at a cops house.” I said with a smirk. “But seriously thank you Ky for running out for supplies, I really appreciate it.”

“It was no problem sis, I was just saying Aiden has no reason to be cranky cause he didn’t do anything period except drink, eat and play with the kids.” Kyla replied with a shrug.

“So back to the fight with Aiden,” Hayley piped in enthusiastically. “What happened? Did you punch him again?”

I rolled my eyes. “Not this time. He was just cranky not drunk.” I laughed remembering my son’s second birthday when Aiden got extremely drunk and started hitting on the other mothers at the party including Kyla. At the time we were still a couple so needless to say I got pissed off very quickly. That was the only time I lost my temper to that degree and I decked him, breaking his nose. We had words outside and I had enough presence of mind to take the argument inside before I really lost my temper.

Kyla started to laugh then said, “That’s a good thing since the last time you had a tell of a time explaining to your son how his daddy got a major boo boo on his face.”

“Exactly?” I responded with a smile then turned to Hayley. “So partner can we talk about what happened out in New Berlin. Reminiscing about my past of minor violence may be entertaining and all but I’m sure the Captain would appreciate us discussing someone else’s serious violent tendencies.”

“You ruin all our fun.” Hayley said with a slight pout. She waited a moment to see if either I or my sister said anything more before turning the conversation serious. “Alright, the victims were Theresa Garcia, age 38, Antonio Garcia, age 15, and Jamie Jones, age 42.”

As she was speaking I was looking through the file folder she had handed me when I sat down. “Okay so if we’re thinking along the same lines as the Olsen family I see that there are no pictures frames anywhere in the crime scene photos. Was there some other sort of ID in the house that lead to the quick identification of the victims?” I asked.

“None.” Hayley said. “We lucked out; one of the first responders knew the victims. Apparently his son and Antonio have played soccer together for years. He also said his wife and Theresa were pretty good friends.”

“Let’s get the million dollar question ladies.” Kyla injected. “Is there anything that tells us this is the same guy or just a half ass copy cat?”

“COD lines up with the Olsen family.” Hayley pointed out.

Kyla nodded, “I see that. Both women had their throats slit and the son was shot. If it’s the same person they have one way to kill males and one way to kill females.”

“But that’s not enough to link these two murders.” I pointed out even though I knew we all knew this.

Hayley got a slight smirk as she pulled a photo from her bag, “Take a look at this photo I left out from your files.”

The picture she laid out before us was chillingly similar to our crime scene of almost two months ago. Three corpses seated at what looked like a dining room table but instead of dinner being laid out on the table it looked as if the victims had been playing Phase 10. I was beginning to see why the Captain had brought this case to Hayley and I.

“What was the relationship between our three victims?” Kyla asked, breaking the silence. She hadn’t had the file in her hand long enough to read anything, she had gone straight to the picture.

“Theresa and Jamie have been in a relationship for ten years and Antonio is Theresa’s son from a previous relationship.” Hayley said than laughed at herself. “I guess after saying the women were together for ten years I didn’t have to state the son was from a previous relationship seeing as he was two weeks short of sixteen.”

“Hey at least you caught yourself stating the obvious.” I joked. “But seriously, was the previous relationship with a man or a woman?”

Hayley flipped through her notes, “The cop I talked to did say Antonio had a father that was sort of in the picture, but him and Theresa didn’t always get along.”

“That could be a possible explanation, if Theresa and the dad were fighting over the son. Dad snaps and kills everyone. Kinda scary scenario but it’s a possibility.” I said with a shrug.

“Yeah, but it seems unlikely. Even if the father had issues with the relationship but it’s been ten years. I’m thinking if he was going to snap it would have been years ago.” Hayley said.

I shrugged. “Good point.”

Kyla seemed like she hadn’t noticed our conversation which was strange because she never missed an opportunity to rag on Hayley or me for wild ideas. She was singularly focused on two crime scene photos; the one of the victims and the one of the living room which appeared to be the primary crime scene.

“What do you see sis?” I asked.

Kyla looked up at me and said, “I’m pretty confident in saying this is the same person.”

“Please share with the class.” I replied.

“First off, Hayley, we are talking about The Jamie Jones right? Owner of two insanely popular restaurants: Chance and Sanctuary. Also soon opening a third, Fever.” Kyla said.

Hayley nodded, “Yes, one in the same. Fever opened last week actually. How did you know that?”

“Jackson’s best friend is a restaurant reviewer for the Journal Sentinel. He recommended Chance when it first opened. We usually go to one of her two restaurants for our anniversary, but that’s beside the point. Look here.” Kyla said pointing to the two pictures she had been studying. “Obvious similarities are the moving of the bodies, removal of photographs I assume and the method of the murders. Unfortunately that may not be enough to prove a damn thing because there are a lot of sick people out there who could be capable of something like this.”

As Kyla spoke I could see Hayley had an idea. Once Kyla finished she said, “If these two crimes are the same killer, how would the killer get to know these seemingly unrelated families without raising some suspicion?”

I thought for a moment then said, “Well someone doing an article on a family for some reason could research them without anyone seeing it as odd. I wonder what our reporter friends’ latest assignment is?”

“Between Jamie’s restaurant success and Antonio being a stand out soccer star I’m sure that family ahs at least one potential story for the society pages.” Hayley responded.

“We may not be actually working this case yet but I think we should pay a visit to our new friend Madison at the Journal Sentinel tomorrow, just to chat and catch up on things you know?” I said with a smirk before finishing my beer.

 

From the bushes just a few feet away the killer was watching the exchange in Ashley’s backyard. The whole conversation was completely audible from where the killer was hiding which made them smirk. “So you all realize that I killed both families. Good for you, but there is no way you will find me. My crimes are picture perfect.”


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning Hayley and I entered the downtown offices of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on State Street. A quick search of Madison Duarte told us she was based here.

“Can I help you?” a friendly looking woman asked us from behind a massive counter in the lobby.

“I guess we look confused.” I whispered jokingly to Hayley.

She gave me a look then turned to the woman, “Yes actually. I’m Detective Williams and this is Detective Davies, we are looking for a specific reporter.” Hayley paused and leafed through her notebook even though she knew damn well who we were looking for, stupid games. “Ah her she is, Madison Duarte who writes for the community page.”

“Oh that’s easy Detectives.” the woman said with a huge smile. “Madison’s on the third floor. Cyndi’s the receptionist up there; she’ll show you where to go. I’ll call up and let her know you’re on your way up.” She rattled off and picked up the phone. Before dialing she quickly added, “The elevators are down the hall on the left and the door for the stair is across from them on the right.”

“Thank you very much Julie.” Hayley said with a flirtatious smile.

As we walked away I said, “Did you know her?”

Hayley laughed then said, “No, there was a name plate in front of her so I guessed that was her name. Though I wouldn’t mind getting to know her.”

“Oh god!” I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes. “Leave it to you to be searching for your next conquest while we’re trying to find a killer.” I added as we stepped into an empty elevator.

“Wow, you’re a cranky bitch this morning. Did you not have your coffee this morning?”

“No I didn’t but that has nothing to do with it.” I snapped back.

Hayley looked me over then asked, “Aiden?”

“That obvious?” She nodded so I continued, “That lazy son of a bitch didn’t want Sebastian around today so he suggested in front of our son mind you that I bring Bash along to work.”

“Ouch!” Hayley grimaced knowing that Sebastian loved going to the station. “That’s not fair of the bastard. We all know Bash idolizes you and loves playing detective.”

“Right!” I said exasperated. “Bash was nearly in tears when I told him he couldn’t come along. I should have just left for work without stopping in downstairs but I love having breakfast with Bash. It’s just so stupid this game that Aiden keeps trying to play especially since he keeps losing.”

“Damn right!” Hayley replied enthusiastically. “So how is the asshole losing today?”

“Well I figure if our conversation with Ms. Duarte goes smoothly we can swing by the house and bring Bash back to the station with us.” I explained with a smile.

“Sweet, it’s been a while since Detective Bash man roamed those halls.” Hayley replied with a smile.

When the elevator doors opened we were met by a familiar face. “Detective, I figured you’d be coming by to talk again. Let’s go into the conference room.”

 

“Interesting,” the killer thought as they sat looking at the office building.

They were becoming an expert at stalking their prey. Following people was easy but there was definitely an art to remaining undetected while observing every aspect of someone’s life. Every waking hour spent getting to know these people, their habits, their patterns and their dirty little secrets. Some may think this is way beyond obsession and in a way it was but this was the source of the killer’s pride, what defined their existence.

“Are you ready to order ma’am?” the friendly waitress asked.

“Actually can I place an order to go? I just got called back to the office.” She asked with a smile.

“Of course, what would you like?“

After she got her food she paid and left. She had watched enough for now. She must now go and plan her next masterpiece.

 

Once the door was closed and we were all seated I got right to the point. “We really only have two questions for you Miss Duarte.”

“Please call me Madison. I think we established that during our last conversation Detective.” Madison said with a smile.

I nodded, “Alright Madison here’s the questions. How do you know Theresa Garcia and Jamie Jones, if you did at all? And where were you during the day on the 18th?”

“Going right for the throat this time, hey?” Madison joked but neither Hayley and I looked amused.

“Please answer the questions.” Hayley urged.

Madison opened a folder I hadn’t noticed and pulled out a few pieces of paper. “I had a feeling I would need this information documented after I heard about what happened out in New Berlin. I was here in the office two days ago, here’s a list of people who can confirm this. This is the review of Jamie’s newest restaurant I wrote a few weeks ago. And this is an email confirming a meeting I was to conduct with Jamie last night at her and Theresa’s home.”

Hayley looked over the paperwork then nodded to me as she handed it over. I quickly glanced over it as well then said, “Thank you Madison, this is all very helpful. Obviously we’ll have to confirm this information but we greatly appreciate your cooperation.”

“No problem Detective. I have something else too.” Madison offered.

“Really?” I said a bit surprised. The stuff she gave us, if true, was more than enough to clear her off the suspect list.  
“I did a little research of my own after I heard about the second set of murders. I found a few things these families had in common, besides me of course.”

I stifled a laugh then quickly said, “Madison please leave the police work to the professionals. We’ll solve this.”

“Well from where I’m sitting Detective it seems you’ve got nothing. I mean it’s been a month and all you’ve got is two dead families. Obviously there are similarities that you guys haven’t released to the press or you wouldn’t be here talking to me.” Madison said.

Hayley looked over at me and knew I was getting annoyed with this reporter’s assumption that was basically the truth, so she jumped in. “Thank you for your alibi Madison but we have a killer to find without help from the press.” Hayley stood up and headed to the door. Before opening it she turned back and said, “Don’t quit your day job.”

“But I can help.” Madison replied, almost whining.

I stopped just short of the door and said, “Not likely, this is a bit beyond the realm of the community pages.”


	11. Chapter 11

Once we got back to the station with Sebastian in two, to Aiden’s dismay, Hayley took my son out to the parking lot to play with the sirens. I went to update the Captain.

“So Ashley what’s your take on the New Berlin case, should we butt in or let it go?” he asked.

I sighed and shook my head before answering. “I really don’t know Capt. I mean all the pieces seem the same but there’s no forensic evidence to link then at all. But of course we have no forensic evidence from the Olsen so that doesn’t really matter.”

“True but if it’s the same guy, maybe he left something behind this time.” the Captain said trying to sound hopeful.

“You know just as well as I do if this person was the killer of both families, most likely they were as careful the second time as the first time.” I replied then added, “Most killers get better, not worse, with each kill.”

 

Having Sebastian visit proved to be relaxing for everyone at the station. There is just something about having a happy kid around that makes everyone smile. By the time we got home Bash was pretty exhausted but couldn’t resist telling his dad every detail of his afternoon at the station. I listened for a couple minutes then headed to get changed because I told my dad I’d help him out at the bar. Twenty minutes later I was heading out the door. Unfortunately Aiden was waiting for me at his door.

“Ash we need to talk.” He said with a serious look on his face.

Oh shit, I thought, this is not going to be good. “It’s gotta be quick Aiden, I need to be at the bar in twenty minutes.”

Aiden rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, “Gee thanks for putting such a short time limit on talking. Does our son’s welfare mean so little to you?”

I glared at him and said, “Don’t you ever question my concern for Sebastian’s welfare you ungrateful prick!”  
“At least I got your attention.” he replied with a self satisfied grin.

“What the hell is this about Aiden?” I was getting annoyed very quickly.

“You need to take Bash tomorrow night.” Aiden said plainly.

“Should be no problem, unless something comes up at work.” I replied knowing there was more to this but honestly I didn’t care enough to ask. When he didn’t reply I figured our chat was over so I turned to leave.

“Well that’s not good enough Ashley.” Aiden said almost pouting. “You have to watch Sebastian tomorrow, end of discussion.”

Knowing this tone usually led to a temper tantrum if Aiden didn’t get his way I replied, “Alright Aiden, not a problem.” I waited a few seconds then added, “Are we done here?”

Aiden gave a big cocky smile and said, “I have a date. Figure a little home cooked dinner, the right music, some candles and the deal is sealed.”

I laughed, “Yeah that and you have no money to take a girl out on a proper date.” I laughed a bit harder then added, “Is your mom coming over to cook for your big date? Wouldn’t want to have to rush her to West Allis Memorial before you get a chance to seal the deal.”

“Very funny smart ass, you’re just jealous that I actually have a social life.” Aiden shot back.

“Is that the best you’ve got Aiden, really? Trust me the woman you fuck are nothing to envy.”

“That statement just proves you are a bitter lonely bitch.”

“Whatever dumb ass. I’ve gotta go do something you’re too lazy to do, work.” I said a bit louder than I meant to but his stupidity was just pissing me off. I heard him yell something while I slammed my car door shut but didn’t understand a single word.

 

"My my such harsh words from the parents of such a sweet little boy." The killer thought as she sat in her favorite spot in the bushes outside the Detectives house. "What kind of man will sweet Sebastian grow up to be with such dysfunctional parents. You should be careful Detective or someone may have to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget." This thought brought an evil grin to her face.

 

“You’re late!” my dad yelled as soon as I entered the bar.

I rushed behind the bar and gave him a hug and said, “Sorry daddy, Aiden decided he wanted to pick a fight with me as I was trying to leave the house.”

“Useless prick.” He grumbled. “Worst son in law I never had.” he added with a slight grin.

“Nice dad. What do you need me to do?”

“We’ve got thirsty people at the bar, what do you think?” he answered with a laugh.

I grinned and began to take orders while he joined a table of his old cop buddies. This was their celebration of the sixth anniversary of my dad getting shot in the line of duty. Hell of a thing to celebrate but these four never missed it, even if it was a little late.

Six years ago I had the best and worst days of my life in the span of forty eight hours. The best was obviously the birth of Sebastian, which my father was present for, then a few hours later he went to work. Raif Davies was a lifer on the beat. He had never wanted to move up the ladder at the department because he loved being on the street. So while Bash and I slept at Froedtert, which also happened to be the main trauma hospital in the city, my dad was out keeping Milwaukee streets safe. About one in the morning he and his partner stopped at a Speedway for coffee and found themselves caught in a robbery turned shootout. I was woken at three a.m. to be told that my dad was rushed to surgery with three gun shot wounds, two to the leg and one in the neck. Several hours later the surgeon came up to my room, where my family had gathered, and told us they were able to repair the damage and stop the bleeding but he had taken a fourth shot to the chest and they were still concerned about the bruising and potential internal bleeding. The shot to the chest had hit his bulletproof vest but the velocity of the bullet caused some severe damage, he wasn’t out of the woods yet. It took him two days to regain consciousness but at least he was okay.

Now every year him and the other three cops involved in the shoot out meet up and celebrate. They drink way too much beer and tell old ‘war’ stories to anyone who will listen. I watch them and can imagine Hayley and I doing the same thing, only I hope neither of us gets shot between now and then.


	12. Chapter 12

The killer sat at home looking through her pictures. She was feeling anxious and now that she had found the best way to cure to her anxiety she need to choose.

“So many dysfunctional families so little time.” she exclaimed gleefully.

There was no fear of the police putting any clues together that would implicate her, she had been too careful. The best thing she had going for her was the fact that she was female. Who would suspect a woman could actually pull off these murders? She knew that females made up only a small percentage of all killers, especially those as prolific as she’d become. Plus there was the scene’s she had created, who would believe that little old her would be able to move three dead bodies and stage them all by herself. It was amazing how strong she became in the heat of the moment, it even shocked her.

“Enough reminiscing,” she shouted at herself. “Living in the past in unhealthy, there is work to be done.”

Just as in the last two times, she had been following three different families for two weeks. The week before she murdered the Garcia family she began her observation process on the new potential families. She had extensive notes on the families habits and routines. She already knew the layouts of their homes and had a rough idea of how she would stage the scene for the police to find. She knew it was dangerous to keep such incriminating evidence but it was also part of the thrill. As was taking all the photos from the family who became her victims but she didn’t care because she was confident she would never be caught.

“Hmmm, which will it be?” She said in a playful tone. “The Ross family, the Clarkson family or the Hart family. All such deserving families yet only one shall be my next masterpiece. Which lucky family will it be?”

After shuffling the pictures around for a little while longer she sighed and closed her eyes. She waved her had over the assorted pictures, like a game of Russian roulette, leaving the fate of these three families to chance. After choosing one photo she held it up and an evil grin crossed her face as she opened her eyes.

“Excellent!” she said with a laugh. “Bet you won’t see this one coming Detective Davies! I’m off to Muskego, wonder if they will even let you know Ashley. Can you catch me if I keep changing cities?”


	13. Chapter 13

There were three guarantees during the winter months in Milwaukee: it will be cold, at time bone chilling cold; there will be snow, probably a shit ton; and the homicide division will be busy. Too much time indoors is never good for peoples tempers. Then you add in family gatherings and alcohol, you’ve got a potentially deadly mix.

During my three years in the homicide division it seemed everyone’s new case basket was a bottomless pit. I can’t imagine how my sister must feel, I honestly don’t know how the ME’s office keeps up since we barely do.

The only up side to this time of year now was I could push the unsolved Olsen case to the back of my mind. New Berlin didn’t want our input on the Garcia case so we were only responsible for the one.

“Davies, Williams got another one for you.” The Captain yelled from his office.

“Gee, haven’t heard that in the last twenty minutes.” Hayley said sarcastically as we both stood up and walked towards his office.

When we were seated I immediately spoke up jokingly, “You know Capt if you paid me a couple bucks every time you said that lately I could easily afford the ten WII games Santa promised Bash would be under the tree in three days.”

“Very funny Davies.” he replied without an ounce of humor in his voice. He handed each of us a copy of the preliminary report and told us what he knew about the double homicide on the North side we were now investigating.

After spending a few hours talking with the list of witnesses provided we were both pretty sure who did it but we still needed to make a trip to the morgue.

 

I was barely in the door when Kyla ran up to me frantically, “The boys want to cook Christmas Eve dinner.”

“Huh?” Her statement threw me off since I had been thinking about the double murder.

“My thirteen year old twins, your nephews, want to make dinner on Christmas Eve. They want to cook!”

I shrugged, “Alright, one less thing I have to do.”

Kyla looked shocked, “Those two have repeatedly fucked up toast. How in the hell can they make edible lasagna? I’m not sure they can be trusted to make the salad!”

I laughed and said, “Come on Ky, even Sebastian can’t mess up the salad. It comes from a bag.”

“That’s exactly my point! I think I would trust Sebastian cooking over my two sons.” she replied looking furious.

“Okay relax sis, deep breaths. Just send the boys over around four on Friday and I’ll supervise. They won’t fuck up dinner.” I said hoping this would calm her down long enough to find out if they had even done the autopsies for our case.

Hayley had been hiding her laughter throughout Kyla’s tirade but decided this was a good moment to chime in, “Plus Kyla they’ll have the best assistant in the world Bash to make sure they don’t mess it up too much. He made most of it last year anyways right Ash?”

“WHAT?” Kyla screeched. She was obviously not amused by Hayley’s horribly timed attempt at a joke.

“She’s kidding Ky. Everything will be fine. You know Bash loves to be helpful but he is not allowed to use sharp knives or the oven.” I said first glaring at my partner then giving my sister a reassuring smile. “Now can we move on to why we’re here?”

“Not funny Detective Smartass!!” Kyla spat at Hayley.

“I thought it was.” She replied with a smirk. “You’re face was priceless.”

“Look just because you’ve been my sisters partner forever, it doesn’t give you free rein to be a royal bitch!”

“Gees relax doc. I’m just trying to lighten the mood. There’s no need to be so harsh.” Hayley said holding her hands up in front of her in surrender.

“Oh I’ll show you harsh!” Kyla said then lunged towards Hayley.

Luckily I was quicker than my sister and pushed her away from Hayley. I stood between them and brought out my stern mom voice, “ENOUGH!” I looked between the two to make sure they were listening then continued, “Do not make me have to explain to my son why his aunts are in jail for Christmas.”

“Yeah right!” Hayley said sarcastically. “Even if you tried we’d be out in no time, way before Christmas Eve which is tomorrow.”

“You wouldn’t!” Kyla said firmly and questioningly at the same time.

I continued to glare at both of them, “Oh I could and I would so don’t tempt me!” After a moment of tense silence I smiled and added, “Hell I may consider it just to have a mostly peaceful Christmas. Are you two going to behave now?”

“Yeah.” they both said in unison.

“Wonderful! Now Kyla, double homicide from the North side. Twenty-five and thirty year old African American males. Ring any bells?”

“Came in when?” Kyla asked walking over to the computer.

I rechecked the file before answering. “About five in the morning. Shoot-out seems to have happened right after bar close.”

“Here we go, they’re next up on Jack’s schedule. Anything specific you need?”

“Honestly just the bullets and fingerprints. We’ve got three guns, all missing rounds. We just have to figure out who had which gun and who shot who. We have a third suspect over at Froedtert.”

“Sounds like fun. I’ll put a note on the file to call you when the stuff goes to the lab.” Kyla replied.

I smiled, “Thanks sis. We’ll talk to you later."

 

After we were outside I turned to Hayley and said, “Did you really have to do that?”

“What?” She questioned trying to look innocent.

“You are such a bitch sometimes.” I replied shaking my head.

“True,” She said nodding with a smile. “So how about we call it a night?”

“Works for me. All our cases are waiting for either lab work or arrest warrants.” I replied with shrug.

“Yeah, what’s up with the DA’s office lately?” Hayley asked. “They’re way slower than usual.”

“My guess is the new ADA hasn’t gotten used to her job yet. I head she’s the daughter of a hot shot corporate lawyer who left her daddy’s firm to work among us little people.” I said with a smirk.

“Well I think there is one important question that needs to be asked, is she cute?” Hayley said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

“How the hell would I know, I’ve never seen her. I’ve only heard about her. You’d have to do more digging than I care to if you want to know if she’s gay and available.” I explained.

Hayley shrugged, “Doesn’t really matter to me . Everyone’s straight until they’re not and I’m not in the market for a wifey.” she finished with a laugh.

I just shook my head and replied, “You need help, you know that right?”

“No, what I need is a drink. What do you say partner? We could swing by The Pint, Mona’s, The Nut Hut? Completely your choice on location.” Hayley offered.

“I’ll pass.” I replied. “Sleep sounds like a wonderful idea to me right now.”

Hayley shook her head sadly, “You know you’ll never find anyone if you don’t put yourself out there.”

“Very true and I’m currently okay with that.” I said hoping that would end this conversation. Unfortunately I know Hayley wouldn’t let it go that easily.

“Look I get that Carmen fucked with your head Ash but trust me most women are not as fucked in the head as that chick.” Hayley replied.

I sighed, “My disinterest in seeking out a romantic life has nothing to do with Carmen.”

“If you say so.” Hayley said then started to walk towards her car. “If you change your mind just text me and I’ll let you know where I’m at.”

I shook my head and walked towards my car. I hated when Hayley brought up my ex. I couldn’t argue that our relationship was messed up from the get go. We did this weird push and pull thing. At times it seemed we were breaking up every other week. I still can’t explain why I kept going back to her. When we were broken up she would threaten suicide, stalk me and even try to use those I cared about against me to prove how much better she was for me than them. It was like the more my friends and family hated her and told me she was completely wrong for me, the more I needed to be with her.

Looking back on it I realize how crazy it all was but at the time I was always sucked back into her web. I mistook obsession for true love. I became someone I didn’t recognize and someone my loved ones didn’t like. It affected every part of my life negatively to a dangerous extreme.

The relationship finally ended for good seven months ago after two years. Carmen called me for one of our nightly talks which were sometimes pleasant and sometimes volatile. This night she was in the mood for a fight. She started off laying into me about why we couldn’t live together She knew I was hesitant because we weren’t a stable couple and I refused to subject Sebastian to the constant rollercoaster that was us. As usual she was not happy with that answer. I could tell this conversation was going to be bad and Sebastian was totally focused on his Lego’s so I went in my room and shut the door, he didn’t need to hear this conversation.

Carmen and I were yelling and cussing up a storm at one another. It seemed every negative moment of our entire relationship was fair game. Suddenly I heard a sound that made my stomach drop, Sebastian screaming. As I ran towards the living room I dropped the phone and could hear Carmen still screaming at me. When I entered the living room I saw my son laying on the floor near the bookcase, Blood gushing out from above his eye. Immediately I grabbed a previously discarded sweatshirt and pressed it to his head to try and stop the bleeding without success. I had no choice but to go to the ER so I grabbed him, my phone which I easily located because Carmen was still yelling, my keys and ran to my car. I drove the five minutes to West Allis Memorial with Sebastian on my lap and my phone, which Carmen was still yelling, on the passenger seat. I don’t know why I didn’t hang up on her sooner but as I pulled into the ER entrance when I finally hit End Call. She was pissed that I hung up on her and livid that I was paying more attention to my son than to her during our phone time, that was the final straw for me.  
She tried her old tricks after that night but I was able to finally resist. Although Sebastian wore his stitches with pride, for me they were a constant reminder of how I failed as a mother. I was so obsessed with this woman that my five year old son was neglected. He never would have climbed the bookshelf if I had been paying attention. He was trying to get a book we read together every night before bed.

That night snapped me back to reality in more ways than one. Besides the hospital visit, Aiden sicked social services on me saying I was an unfit parent. That brought on his attempt at full custody and our current living situation. I haven’t completely sworn off relationships but after being as screwed up as I was over Carmen I was in no hurry to find another woman.


	14. Chapter 14

If it weren’t for the whole Santa and presents thing I swear Sebastian’s favorite thing about Christmas was Christmas Eve dinner. Since I bought my house I had hosted my family’s traditional Christmas Eve lasagna dinner and from the time he could walk Sebastian has tried to help me cook the meal. Honestly he helped with every meal I cooked but this one seemed to be his favorite, maybe it was the excess of messy red sauce and cheese or the fact that he loved playing host and wanted everything perfect. It’s scary how much he’s like me sometimes.

The guest list was ever changing but the warmth of the family gathering never changed. This year would be interesting: there were the usual suspects being mom and dad, Kyla and her family, Hayley who had been adopted into the family years ago when we attended the academy together, and obviously Bash and I. The interesting part, besides Kyla and Hayley’s mutual contempt then sisterly love for each other which was a much more entertaining sisterly rivalry than Kyla and I ever had, was Aiden bringing his new girlfriend. I was pretty sure he was doing this just to get under my skin but I refused to play that game.

 

I sat back with a beer and watched my nephews, Dylan and Tyler, and my son attempt to make dinner. In actuality what they were making was a big mess but with minimal guidance two pans of lasagna did emerge from the chaos. The pans even made it into the oven an hour before the family was to arrive. I quickly put the boys on clean up duty so Kyla didn’t have a heart attack when she walked into the house, because before clean up the kitchen resembled a very messy crime scene minus an actual dead body.

 

Surprisingly every behaved themselves during dinner and for the few hours of family time following in which Sebastian was the perfect little host getting everyone drinks and with the help of his cousins dessert as well.

Even though my entire family generally hated Aiden, besides Sebastian of course, we all actually liked his girlfriend. She was actually a nice, non-bitchy, non-slutty successful woman. Ironically enough she was the receptionist from Madison’s floor at the Journal Sentinel.

We all wondered what the hell she was doing with Aiden but truthfully it wasn’t any of our business. To her credit she seemed to have Aiden acting like a decent human being instead of the usual douchey mama’s boy he normally was so that was all that mattered.

 

After everyone had left Aiden actually helped clean up. Granted the lower part of the house where we had dinner was technically his home so he should keep it clean but that doesn’t always mean much. His girlfriend, Cyndi, was encouraging him to help me but I was still genuinely impressed none the less.

When the dishes were loaded in the dishwasher and the trash was taken out Aiden surprised me again, “Hey Ash, is it okay with you if Cyndi stays here tonight? She’s not used to the way your family drinks. I think she was trying to keep up to fit in, which we both know takes a while to build a tolerance for.”

I was shocked he even asked, “Of course. You know Aiden, this is part of the house is yours. You can have whoever you want stay over.”

“Cool, I wasn’t sure with tomorrow being Christmas and all. I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable.” Aiden replied with a genuine smile. “So will you stay down here too?” he asked almost shyly.

“You’re not getting a three way Aiden. Cyndi’s cute but you will never be that good.” I replied in a semi joking manner, I didn’t want him getting any ideas.

“No that’s not what I meant at all.” He quickly blurted out. “I just thought you might want to be down here when Bash wakes up in the morning, you know the whole Santa excitement thing.”

Again I was shocked by Aiden. I never put much stock in the whole Christmas spirit, good will towards man thing but something had gotten into him that was for sure. Of course I had every intention of sleeping down here tonight anyways but the fact that Aiden suggested it shocked the hell out of me. “Thanks Aiden, I’d like that.”

“Sweet! The little man will be doubly thrilled in the morning.” He replied. Then there was an awkward silence. We had been getting along so well tonight I was almost waiting for some asshole remark. “Um… did you need help bringing down any presents?”

“Nah, most of it’s little stuff.” I said as I headed towards the door.

“Alright.” He said still acting strange. “Ash?”

“Yeah?” I said turning back toward him.

“I just wanted to let you know that next week I have a couple job interviews.” Aiden admitted shyly.

“Really?” Boy Aiden was full of surprises tonight.

“Yeah, it’s nothing big but it’s something. I just need to do something besides stay at home Dad you know.” Aiden said with a shrug.

“Aiden, don’t think you have to do anything to prove a point to me. I know I’ve been harsh with some of the things I’ve said to you but it’s just talk you know. You’ve got to find the right job for you. You shouldn’t feel like you have to settle.” I told him. I was a little surprised that I was being sympathetic to Aiden but after how he had been acting today I couldn’t help it.

“Well I’m not gonna lie, your snide remarks have fueled me a little.” He said with a goofy grin that quickly turned serious. “But I’ve been looking for a job because of Bash.”

“”We’re fine financially.” I chimed in.

“I know.” He replied not meeting my eyes. “But it’s more than money Ash. I see how he idolizes you, wants to be just like you and honestly I’m jealous. It’s not that I don’t want him to look up to you but I want to give him something to look up to as well. I guess it’s kind of a dad pride thing,”

He looked to me for a response but for once I was speechless.

“I’m his father yet I have provided him with nothing worth looking up to. I need to change that.” Aiden stated confidently.

I smiled and said, “Good for you Aiden.”

“Thanks.” He said smiling shyly again.

“No problem. I’ll run up and get the presents. I can grab the ones from the basement too so you can take care of Cyndi.”

“Sounds good. I’ll grab some blankets and pillows for you. I’ll leave them on the couch.” Aiden said.

“Thanks Aiden. Night.”

“Night Ash.”

 

“Yes goodnight to the two of you and that sweet little boy of yours. You two have no idea how perfectly dysfunctional this little family really is. Too bad you have no girlfriend anymore Ash, that would just make the dysfunctional picture complete. It could be my greatest masterpiece… if you were on my list.” The killer that as she watched the family from her front row seat.


	15. Chapter 15

After arranging the presents under the tree I was exhausted. It had been a long day. This morning Hayley and I had cleared two cases and been assigned three more by lunchtime. We then spent a few hours chasing down leads before the family festivities. It was now nearly midnight and my eyes would not stay open so Zebbie and I curled up on the couch for a few hours sleep.

 

I woke up to an unnaturally excited squeal from Sebastian, “Mommy, mommy you’re here! He was here, Santa came! Did you see him mommy? Oh my gosh he came!” Not waiting for a response he took off running to Aiden’s room screaming, “Daddy, daddy!”

As Zebbie chased after him wiggling just as excitedly as Bash I staggered to the kitchen, my eyes half open to start the coffee.

Just as the coffee maker started it’s magic Sebastian came running in and breathlessly asked, “Mommy can we open presents before breakfast, please?” he whined holding up his little folded hands. “Daddy said I had to ask first.”

I smiled down at my son who was so antsy with excitement he couldn’t stand still. “Of course buddy. Why don’t you pick out one for each of us to open while I get the coffee ready.

I barely got the words out before he threw his arms around my legs saying, “Thank you!” repeatedly. Then he was off. I could help but smile and be energized by his excitement. A few minutes later I entered the living room armed with coffee for Aiden, Cyndi and myself. Then the chaos began.

About a half an hour later the living room looked like a tornado had run through it and Sebastian was down to his last two presents of the morning. He was about to rip open the huge space ship Lego set Santa brought him when my phone buzzed. Aiden and Bash looked at me both wearing worried looks.

I reluctantly looked at the display, “Oh it’s just a text from Aunt Hayley, no worries. Let’s see what Santa brought bud.”

As wrapping paper flew I looked at the text. “Turn on the news now! Preferably in another room if Aiden and Bash are around.”

I showed it to Aiden and he gave an understanding nod towards his room.

“I’ll be right back sweetie.” I said to Bash and closed Aiden’s door behind me.

 

“Breaking news this Christmas morning on Fox 6. Early yesterday morning Muskego police apprehended a suspect, thirty year old Jerry Oar, who police have announced has confessed to the brutal murders of the Ross family of Muskego, the Garcia family in New Berlin and the Olsen family in Milwaukee. Until now officials have been tight lipped about these cases but we soon expect word from New Berlin and Milwaukee police officials. Muskego police are confident they have the right man, who they apprehended in a routine traffic stop.” I turned off the TV and called Hayley immediately.

“When the hell were we going to be informed about this?” I said. I was furious. “Did we even know there was a family murdered in Muskego?”

“I guess we should consider ourselves informed along with the rest of the metro Milwaukee area.” Hayley offered.

“But if they have someone claiming to be responsible for one of our cases we should have been informed before the media.” I said angrily.

“Ash you know full well the link between the three cases could be cooked up by the media, don’t forget our only real suspect is one of them. Who knows what this suspect actually said? He may not even know any details of any of these cases. Muskego may just want to look like the good guys with the media’s help. As far as I know they have yet to request the details of the Olsen case.” Hayley explained.

I took a deep breath realizing she was right, “I guess we’ll know more when we hear from the Captain.”

There was a knock on the door and I heard my son say, “Mommy? Are you coming back or do you have to go to work?” By the end his voice was so sad it broke my heart.

Hayley quickly said, “I’ll see you in a few hours Ash. Go enjoy the rest of the morning with Bash.”

“Later Hales.”

I opened the door with a huge smile on my face, “I’m all your bud. Aunt Hayley just had some questions about later.”

Bash squealed and ran back to his presents.

 

At the same time Bash was opening his last presents, across town the killer was just walking into her apartment. She had spent the early hours of her Christmas observing the families who may become her next masterpiece. She walked into her living room and turned on the TV just for background noise. She intended to spend the rest of her morning adding today’s information to her notes on the families. She almost missed the replay of the top story on the local news. Once she realized what she was hearing she became furious.

“Who the hell does he think he is? Taking credit for my hard work?” the killer screamed at the TV. “I was obviously correct in thinking the Muskego cops were idiots but how could this crack pot take the spotlight for my artful disposal of all three families.”

She was beyond furious. Right now she should be regrouping, updating her notes then heading back out for more observations. She could learn a lot from how these horribly dysfunctional families spoiled each other on Christmas.

In theory she should have been at least slightly relieved that the police had a suspect that wasn’t her or even delighted that her work was finally being displayed in the media but instead she was enraged. Then she began to wonder how this guy knew about her work. Had someone been watching her? Had someone figured out her methodical planning process?

It took her nearly an hour to calm herself down. She knew now she had to formulate a new plan. The original plan she decided on two weeks ago, to pay the Moore family out in Greenfield a post Christmas visit was too predictable. She had to improvise, a new unobserved family and possibly a new ruse to get inside the house. Although the thought made her anxious it also excited her.

She quickly scanned through her inventory of potential families and amazingly found the perfect one. She felt like fate was on her side. She headed out to create her next masterpiece but took a quick detour to Ashley’s house. It was so close she couldn’t resist. She didn’t expect to find her at home, she figured Ashley would be at the office trying to figure out if Muskego had the right guy. But to her surprise Ashley was at home enjoying breakfast with her family. How dare she not pay attention to the idiot taking credit for her crimes. This shattered the killers calm and sent her over the edge with rage. “Well Ashley if you have no reaction to the news reports of some half wit police department breaking your case, I’ll send you a very special message you won’t be able to ignore!”


	16. Chapter 16

Sebastian was in heaven playing with all his new toys. The current choice was a dance game for WII which he was beating Aiden at repeatedly. I had given up watching the carnage and decided to make lunch since it was nearly 11:30. I had just put the sandwiched in my new Panini press when the door bell rang.

“I’ll get it.” Sebastian yelled as he ran for the door.

As Aiden walked into the kitchen I asked, “You expecting anyone this early?”

“Nah.” Aiden shook his head. “The rents won’t be here till at least two. You?”

I shook my head then heard Sebastian welcome our guests. “Merry Christmas Aunty Hayley, Captain. I’m so happy you’re here. Come in and see my toys, Santa brought me lots. I was a very good boy this year!”

“Shit!” I said under my breath. “This can’t be good.” I finished a little louder to Aiden.

“Ashley. I ‘m sorry to intrude on your holiday but I need you on this.” The Captain said sympathetically.

I looked sadly at Sebastian. He was growing up so fast and I knew happy times like this morning were precious, this would not last forever. I hated missing anything with Bash but in reality I knew I had missed too much because of my job.

Sebastian looked me right in the eye and said, “It’s okay if you have to go now mommy. Go catch the bad guy so he doesn’t hurt anyone else. Just try not to stay out all night. I would love if you and aunt Hayley could make it back when the whole family is here. You told me the best part about Christmas is family and I’d really like to have the whole family together.”

I almost cried at my son’s reaction, he was wise beyond his years. “We’ll do our best sweetheart.” My son didn’t know exactly what I did, at least I didn’t think he did. He knew I was a cop obviously but I never mentioned that I caught murderers. Bad guys who did bad things to hurt people was the best explanation I had given him and that seemed good enough for him.

I turned to Aiden and said, “I’ll hurry.”

He shook his head and said, “No, take all the time you need. I’ll call your Mom and she’ll help me get dinner started if you’re not back in time, no worries. As Bash said go catch the bad guy.” He finished with a reassuring smile.

 

As we drove only six blocks from my house very little was said. It wasn’t until we arrived at a house on 62nd and Cleveland that the Captain said anything, “Ladies this scene is bad. It basically proves that man in Muskego is lying about his guilt.”

“Another family?” Hayley asked.

“Yes.” The Captain answered shortly.

“What are you not telling us Capt?” I asked because I could tell he was holding something back.

He sighed, “I want you to go through your normal process and come to your own conclusions. But just so you know Ashley, the killer seems to be reaching out to you personally.”

“Me?” I was surprised at that news.

“Look you and Williams have good instincts, you two are my best detectives so I don’t want to draw you to the wrong conclusions. Walk the crime scene as you usually do.” The Captain instructed.

I just nodded and got out of the car. If he wanted our usual, that’s what he would get. Hayley went up to talk to the cop on the door and I took off around the house. There was no sign of forced entry around the house, it was likely that our killer entered through the front door. The absence of fingerprints in the yard also lent to the front door theory. There was a jungle gym in the backyard and some other assorted toys that implied a young child, much younger than the victims from the previous murders. As I got back to the front door I knew from the look on Hayley’s face this was bad.

“Ash, this guy started right at the front door. This is a more frenzied attack than the previous family murders. If this is the same killer as the Olsen’s then they don’t seem to have been as careful this time around.” Hayley explained.

I answered in a business like manner, “Well the news report of someone confessing could have set them off, made them rush into another kill to prove that Muskego got the wrong guy.”

“True, if that is the case hopefully they were sloppy enough to leave behind some fingerprints or DNA evidence.” Hayley said optimistically.

I looked towards the door and saw the evidence of blood splatter all over but low down on the walls just inside the front door. This made my stomach drop and the first thing that popped into my head was Sebastian answering the door when Hayley and the Captain arrived at our house earlier. “Hayley, this child was pretty young right?”

I immediately noticed she looked uncomfortable. “Ash, this is bad.” Hayley said not meeting my eyes. I waited for her to continue. “Shit. The cop on the door says the kid looks to be about 5 or 6 and the couple is maybe late twenties, early thirties.”

“And we don’t know who they are yet?” I asked. When Hayley shook her head I continued, “Okay, let’s take a look around.”

“There’s one more thing Ash.” Hayley said cautiously.

“What?” I snapped. Normally I don’t get annoyed with Hayley but my patience was wearing thin. I knew we were dealing with the murder of a young child which was always tough, and they always made me want to go home to hug my son.

“You remember the Captain said the killer was reaching out to you.” When I nodded Hayley continued, “I was told in the room where the family was staged there’s a personal message to you.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I scoffed. “Let’s just get in there and do our job.”

I didn’t have to walk far to see where the family was staged or to see the message. I was sure at first glace the message was written in blood. On the wall above the Christmas tree was written, “Any doubt that Muskego has the wrong guy Detective Davies? Does the scene look familiar?”

When I looked down to the scene the killer arranged I audibly gasped. Sitting on the couch was a man and a woman facing the tree where a small boy lay surrounded by toys and wrapping paper. This was a scene being played out in houses all over the world including my own. As I took in the horribly sad scene I noticed three coffee cups on the coffee table in front of the adults.

Hayley must have noticed it at the same time because she said, “Why three coffee cups? Is there another body around here? The cop on the door didn‘t say anything about a fourth victim.”

“Actually yes. There’s another woman in the bedroom, we missed her on our initial sweep of the house.” one of the first responders answered.

“Let’s go check it out.” I said to Hayley.

As we entered the bedroom I saw there was a woman laid out on the bed, naked, with her throat slashed. There was a thick comforter on the floor that appeared to have blood on it, so I assumed it had been covering the body.

“Interesting set up.” Hayley joked. “Think the father had a mistress or something?”

“Who knows, I guess we need an ID first. Let’s take another look around the living room to see if there are any clues.” I said. I couldn’t figure that this woman would give us any better clue as to what happened here than the main crime scene.

“Sounds good.” Hayley replied.

I started by taking a closer look at the victims in the living room. It may seem bad to some but when I first look at a crime scene I don’t look that closely at the victims themselves. I try to get a feel for the overall crime scene before I delve into the specifics of who was killed. Now that I was taking a closer look I nearly collapsed, I had to brace myself on a nearby chair.

“Are you okay Ash?” Hayley asked, her face showing obvious concern.

All I could do was point to the little boy. I could see Hayley studying him, then I could see the recognition on her face, “Oh my god!”

The uniform officer we were talking to earlier looked confused, “What’s wrong?”

I too a couple deep breaths then answered him, “I can ID the victims here in the living room.”

I looked over at Hayley and could see the tears in her eyes. We both knew our personal connection to the victims could get us kicked off the case but I could tell from the look in her eyes, behind the tears, that we would fight anyone to keep this case.

“That’s Aaron Daniels.” I said pointing to the man. “He’s a firefighter at Engine 4, age 33. Same as me and his wife Adrienne, she plans parties for kids but is mostly a stay at home mom. And…” I took another deep breath before I continued, trying to choke down the emotion. “The little boy is their son Shaun, he’s 6 years old.” I couldn’t say anything more. I turned quickly and ran outside.

“Wow, didn’t know Davies was psychic.” the officer joked.

“She’s not psychic asshole,” Hayley said harshly. “That’s her son’s best friend.” Then Hayley ran out of the room too. At the door she nearly ran over Kyla.

“Hey what’s the rush Hayley? I know it’s Christmas and all but since we’re here we may as well be through.” Kyla joked.

“Did you see Ashley out here?” Hayley asked slightly panicked.

Kyla looked confused and said, “No, shouldn’t she be in there with you?”

Hayley shook her head, “She ran out of the living room. Can you help me find her before you go in?”

“Sure, I called Scott in so he can get started.” She looked toward the street and saw her assistant walking towards the house. “Let me talk to him for a sec then you’re telling me what the hell is going on.”

 

The killer watched from across the street as Ashley burst out of the house and ran down the street.

“This one hit a little too close to home Detective? Look a little too much like your own home this morning?” she thought, an amused smirk crossing her face. “You thought you caught me but I’m just getting started!”


	17. Chapter 17

“Let’s talk over by the garage.” Hayley said to Kyla after she had given Scott instructions.

When they were out of earshot of the many cops and gawkers on the street Kyla asked impatiently, “Okay, what the hell is going on?”

“The victims are Shaun Daniels and his parents.” Hayley said quietly. She decided there was no point in bull shitting around.

Kyla mumbled the name repeatedly trying to place the name but it didn’t take long. “Oh no!” Kyla started looking around, “But I thought they lived in those apartments by Ashley and I’s house?”

“So did I,” Hayley said.

“They did until last week.” answered an older woman neither Kyla nor Hayley had seen.

Kyla immediately walked up and hugged her. “Gloria, I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you, Kyla.” she quietly replied.

Seeing Hayley’s confusion Kyla explained, “This is Aaron’s mom. They lived a couple houses down from us growing up.”

This made Gloria smile slightly and say, “You two girls got my Aaron into all sorts of trouble.” Then she turned to Hayley, “The stories those three came up with to cover up what trouble they got into.” Her face turned serious as she looked back at Kyla, “Are you and Ashley working this case?”

“For the moment yes. I can’t guarantee that we’ll be allowed to stay on the case honestly.” Kyla admitted. “But if we are allowed to stay on the case we will do everything in our power to find the monster who did this.”

Gloria nodded, “I know you will.”

“Ma’am, can I ask you a couple questions?” Hayley asked hesitantly.

Kyla quickly turned and glared at Hayley, “Really Hayley? Can’t it…”

Gloria cut Kyla off, “What would you like to know?”

“Gloria this can wait.” Kyla replied before Hayley could ask a question.

“Relax Kyla, I know how this works. I’ve been a cops wife for thirty five years. Jim may be retired going on five years now but I still remember those first couple days of any investigation are important.” she then turned to address Hayley. “And it’s Gloria, ma’am just makes me feel old.”

Hayley gave a slight smile then asked, “You said they moved last week?”

“Yes, this house was Aaron’s Christmas present to Adrienne and Shaun. He’d been picking up every extra shift he could for the last year and a half. He also picked up shifts at Raif’s bar too. More than anything he wanted his family to have a home again.” Gloria explained.

“Again?” Hayley questioned. Her knowledge of this family wasn’t extensive. All she knew was Shaun and Sebastian were best buds.

“Three years ago their first house burned down. No one was hurt, thank god, but they couldn’t afford to rebuild and Aaron wouldn’t accept any money from my husband and I. They sold the property but then Aaron broke his leg and Adrienne got sick, it was a tough time. But this house was going to be their fresh start.” Gloria finished, the emotion thick in her voice.

Hayley took a deep breath then continued, “I don’t mean to sound insensitive but why are you out here yet no one knew who was inside until Ashley and I got here?”

Kyla let out a frustrated sigh at what she thought Hayley was implying, “Gloria’s not a suspect Hayley, she just lost her son, daughter in law and grandson.”

Hayley quickly defended herself, “That’s not where I’m going with this Kyla. I’m just trying to understand how things went down here.”

Gloria spoke up before their tiff could continue, “It’s okay Kyla, she has ever right to ask. I came over early to help start Christmas dinner. I opened the front door and saw all that blood…” She took a few moments to compose herself before she continued. “I called out and heard no response. Honestly I was scared so I ran over here by the garage and called 911. The cops came, checked out the house and I think they forgot I was out here. I probably should have spoken up but I overheard a couple of officers talking about what it looked like in there and I knew I couldn’t face it.”

“I understand Gloria. I just have one more question if you’re up for it?” Hayley asked.

“Of course dear.” Gloria replied with a reassuring nod.

“There was another woman found in the bedroom. Was there someone staying with your son and daughter in law?”

Gloria looked surprised by this information. “Not that I was aware of.”

“Would it be alright if I have an officer bring out a picture of her, see if you recognize who she is?”

Gloria could only nod.

“Thank you, Gloria.” Hayley said. “I’m really sorry for your loss.”

“Would it be alright if I sit in the backyard to wait for the officer?” Gloria asked.

“Yes, I’ll get someone out there in a few minutes.”

Before she walked away Gloria said, “Hayley, let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”

“I will.” Hayley said then began to walk away. Once they were out of earshot of Gloria before she said the Kyla, “We’ve gotta find Ash.”

“Agreed but where would she run off to?” Kyla asked.

“Who knows. I could ask the uniform at the door if he noticed which direction she went.” Hayley offered.

“Don’t bother. I didn’t go that far.” I said walking towards them from across the street. I had taken a slow walk around the block to clear my head and compose myself.

Kyla put her hand on my shoulder and said, “You okay sis?”

“As okay as I can be.” I said with a shrug. “I still have no idea what to say to Aiden and Bash. Aiden and Aaron were close for so long. How do I tell Bash he’ll never get to see his best friend again?”

“You’ll figure it out, but for now we’ve gotta figure out who did this.” Hayley offered.

“I should get in there and help Scott.” Kyla said. “We’ll talk later sis, alright?”

I nodded and watched her go into the house. I didn’t really want to follow but I knew I had to do everything in my power to solve this one. As I entered the living room I looked at it in a new way. This scene was personal for me and for the killer.

“The coffee cups still bother me.” Hayley stated. “I mean why all three out here when the third adult was in the bedroom and was obviously killed in there.” I knew she was trying to get me into detective mode.

“Especially cause they don’t drink coffee.” Kyla chimed in.

“What?” Hayley and I both said confused.

Kyla turned to one of the officers milling around, “Can you check the kitchen for a coffee maker?”

The cop gave her a strange look but went to the kitchen as requested. A couple minutes later looking completely dumbfounded. “There is nothing related to coffee in that kitchen. Not even coffee cups.”

Kyla nodded and said, “Remember Gloria said Adrienne got sick, I don’t remember what her condition is exactly but she can’t have coffee, or maybe caffeine in general, one of the two. Either way they don’t drink coffee.”

The officer was the first to pipe in, “So why are there three mugs of coffee on the table?”

It dawned on me suddenly and I quietly said, “Because of me.”

Kyla turned and said, “Look Ash we all know you’re a coffee junkie but that can’t have anything to do with this.”

The idea was quickly forming in my mind but I was missing one key element, “What’s TOD Ky?”

“My best guess is seven or eight this morning.” Scott weakly answered.

I shot a quick glance to Kyla who nodded in confirmation before I spoke. “Who ever is doing this was watching me.”

Hayley butted in, “Okay scary thought but what makes you think that?”

“Well the time frame fits. Sebastian woke up at five this morning. I made up three cups of coffee because Cyndi spent the night.” I noticed the uniform listening and he had a goofy grin on his face. I suppose there was no one in the department who didn’t know I was gay. “My son’s father’s new girlfriend, not mien. Anyways,” I said drawing attention back to the couch. “Aiden and I were seated pretty much like this and Cyndi was in the bedroom still passed out. The killer had plenty of time to see our morning then come here. And let’s not forget the lovely note our wonderful psycho left for me.”

When I finished everything was eerily silent, everyone just looked at one another waiting for someone to speak, or at least I was. “Shit will someone say something?” I finally blurted out.

After a few more moments Hayley finally chimed in, “Hey Ash can we go to your house and hang out with Aiden and Bash?”

“No we need to figure out what happened here and who could do this.” I demanded.

Kyla walked over to me, grabbed my shoulders and looked me dead in the eye. “Ashley Davies you need to go home. Leave this house to the techs. If you’re right, there is a sick fuck in this city who knows where you live. You and Hayley go and watch over my darling nephew.” Kyla smirked and added, “Serve up Aiden as bait if you feel like it.”

I laughed through the tears forming in my eyes, “You’re crazy Ky, but you’re also right. Thank you.” I finished then gave her a hug.

As I walked away Ky grabbed Hayley’s arm and whispered, “You keep an eye on her.”

Hayley smiled, “No matter how much I hate you sometimes Ky, you guys are more like my family than my own. I won’t let anything happen to Ashley or Bash!”


	18. Chapter 18

When we went outside we found the Captain’s car gone. I hadn’t really noticed he wasn’t around until now, I had been too wrapped up in the scene.

“Well that’s awesome, he can drag us from our homes but he can’t stick around to take us back home? Want me to get one of the uniforms to take us to your house?” Hayley offered.

“Nah, let’s just walk. I need the time to pull myself together.” I admitted.

We walked in silence which I was grateful for, I just wanted to enjoy the quiet and not think about anything. It didn’t take nearly long enough to get back to my house.

“You know I can drive you home Hayley. You don’t have to hang around with us.” I said.

“Are you kidding me? I’m ready to see these lots of new toys Sebastian mentioned earlier.” she answered with a smirk.

All I could do was laugh then say, “You are such a goof!”

“What?” she said with a shrug. “Sebastian gets awesome presents but he’s six. He’ll probably have more fun with the boxes and wrapping paper than the actual gift.”

I rolled my eyes, “He did that when he was three, will you ever let him forget he liked the box that the play set you got him more than the actual play set?” I laughed, “What kid wouldn’t love scaring the crap out of their mother by repeatedly jumping out of a box big enough for him to live in.”

“True I guess. But back to the original topic, you’re not getting rid of me any time soon Davies!” Hayley said with a laugh.

“Well what about your presents? I know you spoil Bash rotten whenever you give him gifts.” I reminded her.

“Not a problem, when Dad shows up either you or Mom can run me home. Actually probably Mom would be best. I feel better with two cops in your house at least!” she said definitively.

“You do realize that’s crazy right?” I said with a nervous laugh.

“Now Ash, what’s crazy is someone going around killing families, leaving you messages in blood and creating a scene by taking cues from your house. Until we figure out what’s going on you’ll have to get used to me, Kyla and possibly uniforms being around.”

“I can protect my family!” I said defensively.

“I know you can hun but someone’s gotta watch your back. And if there is someone peeping on you guys I’m afraid you’ll kill them, but I think Capt would probably like to question them first, maybe charge them with some murders and throw their asses in jail for at least a couple life times.” Hayley finished with a goofy grin.

“Valid point! Let’s go in and check on the boys.” I said then opened the door.

Now maybe my nerves were shot because of the crime scene but it seemed uncomfortably quiet in my house. I looked back at Hayley and as if she read my mind she took out her gun.

When I reached for my own weapon I found nothing. “Shit!” I said quietly but obviously frustrated.

“What’s wrong?” Hayley whispered.

“My gun’s upstairs.” I whispered in frustration.

“Don’t worry Ash, I got your back. Just don’t get farther than an arms length away from me.” Hayley instructed.

We crept into the house slowly, pausing at every doorway and corner as we made our way to the living room. We saw no one, heard no one; I couldn’t decide if this was a good or bad thing. We made it to the doorway leading to the living room and looked in. At first I didn’t see anything but the aftermath of Sebastian’s Christmas present frenzy. I looked back at Hayley and saw her eyes go wide. I quickly turned and ran into the room.

What I saw made me scream, “Noooo!!”


	19. Chapter 19

“Huh? What? What’s going on?” Aiden said as he jumped off the couch and bashed his leg into the coffee table. “Ouch, sh…” he stopped before he actually cussed.

“Holy shit!” Hayley said in relief then realized what she said, “Oops, sorry.” she apologized looking between Aiden and I.

The next sound was a sleepy giggle from Sebastian. “Aunt Hayley said a bad word.”

“One you never to repeat little man.” Hayley informed him as she put her gun back in it’s holster.

Sebastian got up form the spot on the floor near the tree where he had fallen asleep and walked to me. Leaning against me he asked, “Why did you yell mommy? Daddy and I were sleeping and you always tell me I should be quiet when people are sleeping.”

I kneeled down to look my son in the eye, “I’m sorry buddy, I shouldn’t have yelled. I just…” I had to catch myself before I started crying.

My son looked me in the eye then said, “The people were hurt pretty bad weren’t they?”

I sighed, “Yeah little man, they were.”

“Well daddy and I are okay.” He gave me a sleepy smile then yawned. “Can I take a real nap in my bed mommy? I didn’t mean to fall asleep on the floor. It’s cold and not comfy at all.” he finished with a slight frown.

I smiled at my son, “Of course you can buddy.”

“Okay, I’ll see you guys later. Oh Aunt Hayley , my toys are over in the corner. You can play with anything but the Lego space ship. I’m doing that all by myself!” He warned then went off to bed.

Once Sebastian was out of the room Hayley and I both sighed then collapsed on the couch.

“Beer or coffee?” Aiden asked.

“Huh?” I said in return. I heard what he said but for some reason the question stumped me completely.

“You ladies need something obviously I just wasn’t sure if you could drink.” Aiden said with a shrug. “Didn’t know if you had to go back to work or if you were in for the day.”

“Thank you Aiden. A beer would be terrific.” I replied.

“Make that two please.” Hayley added then turned to me with a joking smile on her face, “Just how much beer do you guys have for today?”

“Not enough to erase today.” I whispered.

Aiden walked in with three bottles, handing one to each of us then said, “There is a Davies family gathering today, so there’s plenty of beer.” After taking a swig of his own beer he added, “If not I’ll walk down to Open Pantry later and get more.”

The three of us sat in silence for a few minutes. Aiden decided to turn on the TV and stopped on ESPN. After a few more minutes he spoke up, “So I’m guessing the scene was pretty bad.”

I took a deep breath, hoping to compose myself enough to give Aiden the details he deserved to know. He had known Aaron just as long as I had, we all grew up together. We’d been close for years. Though the last few years we’d seem more of Adrienne than Aaron, it didn’t make this any easier.

“It was another family.” Hayley said then looked to me. I could tell she was just trying to give me a nudge, she knew me too well.

“That’s rough,” Aiden replied and shook his head. “And today of all days. Are you okay Ash? You’re pretty quiet.”

I nodded my head then shook it instead. I wasn’t okay at all and I could admit that to my family. “It was Aaron.”

Aiden looked confused, like he was running through the people he knew to figure out who I was talking about. It didn’t take very long, I could tell by how his face dropped. “Not Daniels?”

All I could do was nod sadly.

He was quiet for a moment the quietly said, “You said it was a family?”

Hayley nodded sadly and confirmed, “All three of them plus a fourth unidentified woman.”

“Oh god.” Aiden replied.

Then he did something that surprised me. He put down his beer, moved over next to me and gave me a hug. This pushed me over the emotional edge, I started balling. I don’t know how long we sat like that but it was long enough for all three of us to cry ourselves dry.

“I think we should wait a day at least to tell Sebastian.” Aiden suggested. “He’s so excited today, I’d hate to crush that.”

“I agree. I just don’t know how to tell him.” I said weakly.

“We’ll figure it out,” Aiden said encouragingly. “And we’ll do it together.”

All I could do was nod in agreement and hug him again.

“At least we know the best possible people are handling this.” Aiden added.

“Huh?” I asked cause he lost me on that comment.

“Well I’m assuming Kyla’s handling the, um, ME side of this. Then you and Hayley are investigating. You three are amazing at what you do, you’ll find the bastard!”

“We haven’t yet and this isn’t his first go around.” I answered honestly. I already felt defeated and this case was only a few hours old.

“But you will. Not that the other families didn’t matter but this one really hit you Ash. I see that stubborn fire starting in your eyes.” Aiden said.

“That doesn’t change anything.”

“You are the most stubborn woman I know Ash, with Hayley and your sister not far behind on the stubborn meter. I know you’ve been putting everything you can into the Olsen family’s case but now this guy has really pissed you off now. And I can say from personal experience, being in the line of fire when you’re pissed is hazardous to one’s health.”

“Or at least one’s nose.” Hayley chimed in which made all three of us laugh despite everything.

“Let’s just try to enjoy today and be thankful for our family. Tomorrow you start hunting this guy down so he can’t hurt anyone else.” Aiden said confidently.

I nodded, wishing I had his confidence. I hadn’t told him about the message to me or my fear that the killer was watching us. I probably should have but I was afraid he might bolt back to his parents with Sebastian. It may be selfish but for now I needed them close.

 

The rest of the day was hard. My family and Aiden’s parents joined us. All the adults knew of the horrors that occurred only a few blocks away. Kyla had already called our parents before they got to my house. I overheard Aiden telling his parents and his Mom didn’t take the new well. She instantly panicked and wanted Aiden and Bash to move back into her house immediately. She’d always hated the fact that I was a cop but me being mixed up in this case, as she put it, made her extremely uncomfortable. Surprisingly Aiden, the notorious mama’s boy, stood up to her. He said this was his home now and he wouldn’t leave unless I asked him to move out.

We all put on a happy front. We did it for Sebastian, Tyler and Dylan but also for ourselves. Christmas was supposed to be a happy day. We all needed to remember that even though horrible things happened we still had each other so we were lucky.

 

The killer watched the goings on in the Davies house with interest and a bit of disappointment.

“Did I not affect you enough Ashley?” She questioned then smirked. “Don’t worry, the games have only just begun!”


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning I decided to head into the station early, I hadn’t really slept well and after waking up five or six times during the night I figured it was pointless to try anymore. I arrived with the hope that I would have some reports in my inbox, normally something I dreaded. The CSU guys always joked there was no rest for the wicked and even less for the good guys who have to convict the wicked. I wasn’t sure if that applied on holidays as well but in this case I was counting on it.

When I got to my desk I saw the usual overnighters milling around. We exchanged smiles and nods of acknowledgement but didn’t say much, we all had work that needed to be done. I had just fired up my computer when I heard a familiar voice, “Davies, can I have a word with you in my office?” the Captain grumbled as he walked past me, cup of coffee in his hand.

As I entered his office I noticed he looked in need of some sleep. He looked as clean and put together as usual but there was a slight slump in his shoulders and his tired eyes were a dead give away. “Close the door Davies.”

I was afraid he was gonna say the one thing I didn’t want to hear so as I closed the door I spoke up first, “You can’t take me off this case Capt. I’ll fight you on it if I have to.”

“Good to know,” he replied with a slight grin then continued. “I have no intention of taking you off this case so I’m glad we got that detail out of the way.”

“Good!” I said, surprised I didn’t have to fight him on this. “So what happened to you at the scene yesterday? I figured you’d be there after Hayley and I assessed the scene.”

“The short version, political bull shit. I saw your sister and asked her to tell you I got called away.” he offered.

“Oh, she hadn’t mentioned. But to be fair I was very distracted when I saw her at the scene so I may have missed her telling me.” I admitted.

The Captain nodded then said, “I’m asking this not as your boss but as someone who cares about you and your family, are you okay?”

I sighed and shrugged. I’d been asking myself the same question since I left the scene. “I have to be, I have no choice.”

He nodded his head then spoke again, “I know about the message on the wall Ash but beyond that I didn’t know just how personal this scene was for you. If I had known I would have warned you. No one even told me who the victims were. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay Capt. Those on scene didn’t know who they were until I made the ID. Even if you had known the names of the victims you wouldn’t have realized that Shaun was Sebastian’s best friend. Or that Aiden and I grew up with Aaron.” I had to gulp back the emotions, I still felt raw.

“Have you told Aiden and Sebastian yet?” He asked.

“Hayley and I told Aiden after we got to my house. Aiden and I agreed to hold off telling Sebastian for a day or two. We didn’t want to make Christmas sad for him.” I explained.

“Makes sense but don’t wait too long. This story will be all over the press today and the names have been leaked, that’s part of why I called you in here.”

“Shit!” I said shaking my head. “That was fast.”

“Well a young attractive family gets slaughtered Christmas morning, the vultures live for this shit. The only thing that will possibly slow them down is…”

“Catching the bastard!” I finished his thought.

“Exactly, and of course that part is a piece of cake, right?” he said sarcastically.

“Of course, since Muskego did all the work for us and caught the guy right?” I replied just as sarcastically.

“Well it seems they have an attention seeking, low grade criminal on their hands who is of no use to us. Our ADA is putting in a request for the case files from New Berlin and Muskego so we can determine if the cases are the same perp.” he informed me.

I rolled my eyes and replied, “Great. Hopefully our guy decides to wait a month or two before picking another family to annihilate.”

“I’m sure given what happened yesterday, the added political and media attention will push them to cooperate faster than usual.” He said confidently.

“I don’t doubt they’ll cooperate Capt. It’s our new ADA I have no faith in. She’s been here like a month and I’ve never even seen the woman, only seen her signature above the judges on our search warrants which now take twice as long to get.” I rattled off. I kinda surprised myself with the griping but I was annoyed.

The Captain laughed and said, “Well tell me how you really feel Ashley.”

“C’mon Capt, you can’t tell me you haven’t noticed the lack of urgency from the DA’s office lately when it comes to our cases.” I said.

“We’re working on that, honestly. The new girl up there is a bit too detail oriented. She’ll get better though, just give her a little more time and please don’t tear her to shreds.” He replied.

“What do you mean?” I asked, I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like where this was going.

“Well warning you about the press coverage was only part of what I had to tell you today.” He paused obviously trying to gauge my mood or my reaction. I in turn revealed neither so he continued. “You have a briefing with our ADA later this morning. From today on you and Hayley are to consider her as part of your team per the police chief.”

“Ah, the political bull shit you mentioned earlier.” I said rolling my eyes.

“Exactly! The press will be out of control very soon. We’re not positive the four families are connected but you know the press will say they are and the public will jump right on that bandwagon whether it’s true or not. The chief believes we’ve got to work as a team or we’ll be crucified in the press.” He explained.

I hated that everyone was so obsessed with public image. Personally I could care less about what some reporter said about how I did my job or what the general public thought. I know I’m a damn good detective as did the others in the homicide division, that was all that mattered to me professionally.

“By your facial expression I can tell you’re not pleased with the situation Davies but you’ll have to deal with it.” The Captain said firmly. He glanced at his watch then looked back up at me. “Ashley, you have time before your shift officially starts. Why don’t you go home and talk to your son before some news channel breaks the news to him.”

“Alright Capt, thanks for the warning.” I said as I got up. I went to my desk and sat contemplating what he said for a few minutes.


	21. Chapter 21

I wanted to ignore the Captains warning and just stay at work. But I knew if I didn’t go home and at least talk to Aiden it could be a really bad situation.

When I got home I had to laugh because Aiden had let Zebbie out and now she was racing around the yard as he tried to catch her. The dog, at least, looked like she was having a blast.

“Having problems?” I yelled out with a laugh.

“I’d like to see you get this stupid little dog in the house when she clearly doesn’t want to go.” Aiden spat back in frustration between grasps.

I had to laugh because as happy as Zebbie looked, Aiden looked equally as miserable. But no matter how amusing this little cat and mouse game was I decided to put the poor man out of his misery and whistled. Zebbie happily trotted right to me and into the house.

Aiden stalked toward me and muttered, “You suck!” as he too entered the house. I noticed though there was no anger or malice in his tone, it was more playful like the old Aiden. Once I was in the kitchen he spoke up again, “Wat are you doing back? I thought I heard you leave over an hour ago.”

“I did but I had an unexpected meeting with the Captain.”

“He didn’t take you off the case did he?” Aiden quickly asked.

“No he didn’t though I thought he might. He said he has no intention of taking me off the case.” I explained.

Aiden smiled. “Well that’s definitely good news. So what did he say that brought you back?”

“Well he was concerned because the…”

“Mommy!” Sebastian yelled happily as he ran into the kitchen and nearly tackled me.

“Morning baby. You must have slept well to have so much energy so early in the morning.” I said with a warm smile.

Sebastian just giggled as he gave me a hug. I wasn’t sure if it was what I said or the little tickle I gave his side that made him laugh. “Can I make myself cereal?” He asked looking between Aiden and I obviously not sure who he should ask.

“Go for it little man.” Aiden spoke up then added. “Your mommy and I are gonna go talk in the living room.”

“Okay,” he shrugged and went about making his breakfast.

As I turned to go to the other room I saw the newspaper bagged up on the table. I quickly snatched it and went to the living room.

Aiden looked confused as he joined me, “Why’d you grab the paper? Bash likes to look at the pictures during breakfast.” he said with a smile. “It makes him feel like a big kid.”

I knew this of course, he was my son too, but I pulled the paper out knowing what kind of headline there would be. When I unfolded it the blaring headline read ‘Christmas Tragedy: Family Slaughtered.’ with a large portrait of our friends. I turned the paper towards him and questioned, “This what you want our son looking at over his Lucky Charms?”

“Shit, that was quick.” was all Aiden could say shaking his head.

“Yeah, I know. This was what the Captain wanted to tell me about, for all our sakes.”

“That was very thoughtful.” Aiden replied and paused for a moment before adding. “I guess we should break the news to Bash.”

“What news?” Sebastian asked innocently from the doorway. “Can I have the paper Mommy?”

My breath caught in my throat. An unfortunate reality of my job was having to inform people of the murders of their loved ones. Although I hated that aspect of the job I always seemed to know what to say to them. In this situation though I was at a loss for words.

“Buddy, come sit down. We’ve got to talk to you.” Aiden said as he sat on the couch.

“Okay Daddy.” Bash replied happily.

I could tell he was confused but he sat down next to Aiden anyways. I folded the paper and sat on the coffee table across from them.

“Something bad happened yesterday buddy.” Aiden started.

“Did someone get hurt?” Bash quickly asked then added, “”Is everyone we know okay?”

I was about to speak but Aiden shook his head slightly to me, indicating for me to stop.

He grabbed Bash’s hand and said, “Somebody hurt some of our good friends little man, but Mommy’s gonna find whoever did it.”

“Who got killed?” Bash asked with tears in his eyes.

“Why do you ask that Bash?” I blurted out.

“Mommy, you’re a homicide detective. I may only be six but I know if you’re working on a case then somebody killed somebody else.”

I smiled slightly, “You’re growing up way too fast Bash, you know that?”

“Who mommy?” he insisted.

There was no beating around the bush now, Sebastian was just as stubborn as I was. I looked at Aiden and he nodded so I answered. “Shaun and his parents.”

Tears fell down Bash’s face now. He sat quietly crying for a bit. Aiden and I kept looking from Bash to one another not sure what to say.

Finally Bash broke the silence, “Mommy? You and aunty Hayley are gonna make sure the person who did this is punished, right?”

I looked into my sons wide teary eyes and with all the confidence I could muster I said, “Absolutely buddy. Aunt Kyla’s helping too.”

Bash nodded and said, “Good because bad people like that should be in jail!”

I nodded back and replied, “I agree little man.”

Aiden chimed in, “Are you okay Bash?”

He shrugged, “I’m not sure.”

“This is really hard for all of us little man.” I said. “Aiden and I have been friends with Shaun’s parents for a long time.”

Bash remained quiet so Aiden said, “If you want to talk about it we’re here buddy.”

Bash looked like he was thinking hard through the tears. “Mommy?”

“Yeah sweetheart?” I quietly responded.

“You need to go to work and catch the bad person.” He said with conviction.

This surprised me, “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay here?”

“No, go catch the bad guy.” He insisted as he stood. He grabbed my arm and pulled, “Go!”

I got up and walked towards the door with Bash pushing me. When I opened the door though he stopped me.

“Mommy?”

“Yes sweetheart?”

“You’re gonna call aunty Hayley and make sure she’s with you right?” he asked.

“Of course buddy.” I said looking at him curiously because he had never asked me that before.

He seemed to sense my confusion and said, “You guys have to find a very bad person. I know you will keep each other safe."

I smiled, “That we will!” I gave him a hug and walked out of the house. I immediately texted Aiden, “Let me know if you need me to come home. I’ll be here ASAP.”

Aiden responded, “I will. I think he’ll be okay if he knows you two are chasing down the bastard.”

 

The killer smirked from her hiding spot, “So Bash thinks I’m a bad person? He has no idea what kind of person I can be!”


	22. Chapter 22

When I arrived back at my desk Hayley was already seated at her own desk, which faced mine. She just looked at me for a few moments then tentively asked me, “How’d it go with Bash?”

“As well as can be expected I guess.” I answered dismally then added, “How’d you know we told Bash?”

She jerked her head towards the captains office then said, “He told me about your conversation and exit earlier so I just figured.” She finished with a shrug.

“Ahh.” I responded then sighed, “Bash is expecting us to catch this guy quickly.”

Hayley nodded and responded confidently, “We will catch him Ash. I don’t know how quickly we can pull this off but we’ll get him.”

“Oh and he insisted we keep each other safe too.” I added with a smile.

“Naturally!” Hayley answered with a grin. Then she turned serious and laid her hand on my arm across our two desks, “No worries lady. We’ll get this guy and see him locked away for a very long time while having each others backs. Then we’ll have a big old party at your house!”

I smiled slightly but replied realistically, “Hopefully before another family falls victim.”

 

The killer was stalking her latest prey when her phone rang. “Hello?”

“You’re late. The meeting is in five minutes and we haven’t discussed anything about your upcoming clients.” said her boss angrily.

“No worries,” she said confidently. “I’m ready and I’ll be there soon. Relax, it’s under control.”

Once she hung up she cursed her boss. If it were up to her she’d quit her job but then again how would she find deserving families without working.

 

“Williams, Davies conference room in twenty. Bring everything you got on the Olsen and Daniels cases. You’ll get the other files in ten!” The captain barked from his office door then retreated back inside quickly slamming the door.

“This can’t be good.” Hayley said.

“It’s not you guys that has him in a mood.” Jones, one of the other detectives, said as he walked over to our desks. “The higher ups are all over his ass about these murders.”

Normally I liked Jones, he was a good cop and was always willing to help me out but sometimes he had an annoying habit of stating the obvious. I was about to respond with a smart ass remark but his partner beat me to the punch.

“No shit Sherlock!” Detective Jameson uttered with a smirk. “I’m sure these lovely ladies figured that much out all on their own.” she finished with a wink at me before she walked off pulling her partner along.

As my face reddened ever so slightly, Hayley immediately began picking on me. “You know partner I don’t think she’s gonna stop hitting on you until you give in and go out with her.”

“You know my rule about dating people I work with.” I muttered. I hated when she picked on me about Jameson’s crush.

“I know, I know.” she said with a sarcastic sigh. “Hence you and I will always be a unicorn in my mind.”

“You are dumb.” I quickly responded rolling my eyes. “What does that even mean?”

Hayley had a goofy grin on her face as she began, “Simple, you and I…”

“Davies, Williams five minutes! Get your asses moving, girl talk time is over!” The captain yelled at us.

“Shit, how is that even possible? He just said we had twenty minutes like five minutes ago!” I said slightly panicked most because of his tone, not as much about the disappearing time. Hayley was right earlier, if he was this stressed this meeting could be really bad.

We both got up, grabbed our notes, grabbed the case files and headed to the conference room. It felt like a very long walk across the squad room when all eyes were on you. Everyone knew this was a monster case, even a career making case. Unfortunately a case like this could ruin a career quickly as well.

“Suppose it’s too late to ask teach for an extension?” Hayley jokingly whispered.

I just smiled and shook my head. When we entered the conference room the Captain was the only one there so far.

“You two sit over there,” he pointed to the two chairs furthest from the door.

“Wow we even have assigned seats.” Hayley joked.

Ignoring my partners sarcasm he added, “Try to be completely professional ladies. One of our guests will be the chief himself and a few others. I’ll be back in a minute or two.”

Once he left the room Hayley turned to me with a smirk on her face, “So as I was saying…”

“Oh god,” I said rolling my eyes. “You’re really gonna continue this ridiculous conversation?”

“But of course lady!” Hayley laughed and mercilessly continued, “You and I together would be hot, but since it will never happen it’s imaginary. Unicorns are considered the most beautiful thing imaginable, close enough to hot in my opinion, hence my reference. May not be perfect but it’s simple enough, don’t you think?”

All I could do was shake my head and laugh. I heard the door open so, assuming it was the captain again, I folded my arms on the table and dropped my head trying to compose myself.

“Did I miss the punch line?” an unfamiliar female voice made me freeze.

Hayley whispered in my ear, “Speaking of hot, damn!”

I lifted my head and gazed upon the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She actually took what little breath I had away, as cliché as that sounds. We locked eyes and she smirked slightly; I suddenly felt my cheeks redden and I turned to mush.

Hayley jumped up and said, “Hi, I’m Detective Hayley Williams.” She looked down at me then quickly continued, “My mute partner here is Detective Ashley Davies.”

The woman gave a slight laugh and replied, “A comedian and a mute? Real crack pot team around here.” She sat across from us and began unloading files and a laptop from her briefcase. “At least this should be slightly entertaining among all the violence.” She finished with a smirk.


	23. Chapter 23

The door opened again and I looked to it immediately. The captain walked in followed by the chief and two men dressed in suits that I didn’t recognize. The homicide squad room was fairly casual so the suits were never a welcome sight.

“Good, I see you ladies have met. Let’s all sit and we’ll get acquainted.” The captain waited a few moments for everyone to sit then he spoke again. “To my left is police chief Tim Marlo. Next is our ADA for this case Spencer Carlin.”

I immediately panicked and thought ‘Shit she’s the ADA?’ I couldn’t remember the captains exact wording but the just was she is now our third wheel on this investigation, and a distractingly attractive one at that.

“Next to her is Tom Moore from the mayors office, next is SSA John Hotchner from the FBI and finally the lead detectives on this case Ashley Davies and Hayley Williams. Now that we all know each other lets get started.”

“David, can I say a few words before we delve in?” Tom, who I assumed was the mayor’s puppet, inquired.

The captain nodded grudgingly. I always forgot capt had a real name, David Russo.

“Thank you!” He said nodding to the captain then smiled at the rest of us. “First off I’d like to state for the record that the mayors office has no intension of interfering with this investigation.”

Hayley and I glanced at each other and the look said it all, we’d heard that before. Every high profile case I remember homicide having the mayor, and the chief for that matter, said they just wanted to be kept in the loop but would not interfere.

Tom continued, “The mayor just wanted me to convey to you all that he would like is to be kept in the loop on this, know the latest before the press.” He finished with what he probably thought was a friendly grin.

I thought it was more of an asshole smirk. By speaking his piece he told me that the mayors office was now butting into my investigation and I wouldn’t be able to handle this my way.

The captain jumped in before the mayor’s puppet felt we enjoyed listening to him talk. “John, do you have anything to add?”

“Not much David,” he stated with a shrug. “After reading through all four case files we searched the FBI database and found no cases exactly like these. If this unsub has killed before they have changed, or evolved their methods. There’s plenty of unsolved shootings and victims whose throats had been slashed but nothing like this.”

“Captain can I ask a blunt question?” I chimed in.

He gave me a look of warning before saying, “Go ahead Ashley.”

I turned to the FBI agent and said, “It’s SSA Hotchner, right?”

He nodded with a smile and replied, “Yes but please call me Tom, Detective Davies.”

“Okay Tom.” I replied with a smile too, trying to show that I could play nice, even though truly I didn’t want to. “What will be the extent of the Bureau’s involvement in the case?”

“Right to the point, I appreciate that detective.” He said in a friendly tone. “I have been called in because of my skills as a profiler. Most of my work will be to develop a profile of the unsub to assist you in apprehending them.” He said confidently then quickly added, “I hope to assist more than interfere but honestly I have been told I tend to do both equally.”

“Good to know.” Hayley and I replied at the exact same time which made everyone in the room laugh.

The chief stood next to speak again. “I get accused of interfering all the time but it’s a hazard of the job.” He smirked then continued. “I want everyone here to know without a doubt I have the utmost confidence in Williams and Davies. They have proven themselves to be the best detectives in homicide, without a doubt.”

I actually felt a little embarrassed by the chiefs comments. I knew Hayley and I were good but this was huge to hear from the chief of police.

“Williams, Davies if you need extra resources from the department just ask, I have a list of good officers willing to work overtime if you need help tracking down leads or staking out locations. We all want this killer caught and I personally want to see the MPD get them.” He turned to the captain and said, “Tom and I have a meeting with the mayor across town so we need to leave I just wanted to check in and let you know I am in your corner.” With that he and Tom quickly left the room.

The captain nodded and turned back to us. “Well now that we’ve heard all the official statements let’s get to the actual cases. Davies, Williams you’re up.”

The chief poked his head back in, “I’ll call you later to see if anything new comes up David. Oh and Davies, tell your dad I said hi next time you see him.”

“I will chief.” I replied with a slight blush. I love my dad but sometimes it’s annoying being the daughter of a highly respected and well liked cop. It actually made life in the department difficult at times.

 

Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be a cop just like my dad, much like Bash feels about me now. After I graduated high school my dad didn’t want me going straight to the academy, he was animate that I go to college before making any career decisions. I humored him and went to Marquette University and got a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology. My desire to follow in my fathers foot steps hadn’t diminished so I entered the academy.

Right off the bat most of my instructors knew my father, so I wasn’t jus tone of the many potential police officers I was Raif’s little girl. That cause many of my peers, mostly the men, to think that I was getting by on name alone because I outscored most of them on evaluations. The truth was I worked my ass off because I wanted to be recognized for my own merits, not my fathers accomplishments.

One of the few friends I made in my class was Hayley. To this day I’m not sure why she started talking to me; whether she genuinely wanted to be my friend or if she was initially just trying to get in my pants. Either way we became good friends and have remained close throughout our careers. Oddly enough we have been able to tolerate being partners all this time as well. We work well together because we challenge each other, entertain each other and above all protect each other in the field.

Even after graduating at the top of the class from the academy I was still living in my fathers shadow. At times it felt like no matter how hard I worked, any success I achieved was questioned by some. Was I really that good or was I getting preferential treatment because my dad was a legend on the streets?

Before Bash was born I decided I was going to use my maternity leave to set myself apart from him and study for the detectives exam. Every night Hayley would come over so we could study together and quiz each other. We studied our asses off and were rewarded with the two highest marks, mine slightly higher than hers thank you very much. Then as luck would have it David had been our captain the year before then transferred to homicide and he wanted us there. I’ve heard plenty of grumbling from other cops that I only get into homicide because of who my dad was but the truth was it was my own connections that got me where I am. Unfortunately some guys just have a hard time stomaching the fact that a woman is better at the job than they are.

The funny thing is my father’s apprehension about having me being on the force had nothing to do with the physical danger I’d face on a daily basis. His biggest concern was how I’d deal with the old boys club mentality. He knew I’d excel at anything I put my mind to, I’m a stubborn perfectionist that way. I think he was afraid I’d beat up or shoot at fellow asshole officers who hassled me, not that some criminal might do either to me on the street.


	24. Chapter 24

The captain brought my attention back to the task at hand, “Actually before we get to Williams and Davies, John are you going to stay for their report? I know you’ve already read through the files so I wanted to make sure if you had any interest in their take.”

“Even though I am interested in what the detectives have to say,” John said gathering up his paperwork and tablet. “I was hoping one of the detectives could accompany me out to the crime scenes so I could get a feel for the physical area. Both elements will help me greatly develop an accurate profile.”

“Williams you take John out to the Olsen house and the Davidson house. For the other two houses you’ll have to go through New Berlin and Muskego departments for access but I’ll get someone working on that for you. Hopefully by the time you’ve gone through our two crime scenes we’ll have someone ready to take you to the other crime scenes.” The captain instructed. “Davies you can go over what we know with Miss Carlin.”

Hayley leaned over towards me and whispered, “Why do you get all the luck Ash? Wanna trade?” she finished with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

Before I could respond the captain chimed in, “Come on Williams, get going. You’ve got four crime scenes to go through, that takes time that we don’t have to spare at this point.”

Hayley turned toward the captain and nodded. As she got up she turned back to me and showed a huge pout on her face. I shook my head and couldn’t help but laugh quietly as they left the room. Although I usually liked being out in the field better than being stuck in the station, this was probably for the best. If Hayley was left here alone in a room with the ADA the last thing on her mind would be the case.

“If you ladies will excuse me as well, I have a mountain of paperwork from other cases to catch up on and two departments to sweet talk into cooperation. If you need anything I’ll be in my office.” The captain said then also left the room.

“And then there were two.” Spencer joked.

When the captain finished talking I quickly looked down at the file in front of me. When I heard Spencer joke I looked up and saw she was smiling. Oh boy, that smile could be the death of me. I couldn’t help but smile back, it was infectious.

“Your partner was kidding about the mute thing right? I mean I think I did hear you speak about three words to the Chief right? Or was I imagining that?” Spencer said in a friendly tone.

I laughed, “Yeah she was kidding, I am capable of speaking.”

“Ah she does have a voice.” Spencer replied with a huge smile. “And a pleasant sounding one at that.” she finished with a wink.

“The beginning of the meeting was just a lot of bull shit political posturing. In situations like that I’d rather stay unnoticed than jump in the middle of the conversation.” I admitted honestly.

“I get that.” Spencer said nodding her head. “How about we move this meeting up to my office? Not that this conference room isn’t nice in a sort of official cop like way but I actually have comfortable furniture and an assistant who will run out and get us lunch.”

“Sounds good, just give me about ten minutes and I’ll meet you up there.” I said with a smile. “I have to take care of something quick.”

Spencer nodded and smiled as she gathered up her things, “Then I will see you soon Detective.”

 

“Come in!” the Captains voice boomed from inside his office moments after I knocked.

I opened the door and asked, “Can I talk to you for a minute Capt?” When he nodded sadly I closed the door behind me.

“Don’t tell me she already pissed you off Ash? Her boss told me she can be a bit infuriating but I was hoping you might scare her into silence or compliance or something.” the Captain rambled while rubbing his forehead. He kept talking like I wasn’t in the room. “I mean I figured Williams would just flirt with the girl mercilessly which would accomplish nothing so what other choice did I have?”

“Uh, Capt?” I said trying to get his attention.

“Huh?” he jumped slightly, I really think he forgot I was in his office which concerned me. I know this was a big case but I was worried the pressure was already getting to him.

“I ah… wanted to talk about something more personally related to me, not about the ADA.” I replied.

“Oh okay. But wait, there’s no way you could have gone through everything already. You know I’m not letting you get out of working with Miss Carlin Ashley. You have to work with her, I would hate to see what will happen if you don’t and it may be something I can’t protect you from. I only have so much control over this case.” the Capt admitted.

This surprised me, “Wow Capt, was that a threat? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that out of you.”

“Ash, I’m not trying to threaten you but the order to work side by side with her did not come from me. This case is being watched very closely and we have to play by their rules, at least mostly by their rules.” he finished with a slight smirk.

“That’s fair Capt, don’t worry I’ll play nice. We’re meeting in her office in ten, no wait now seven minutes. So back to why I’m here, my house. Did they find anything?”

When I was leaving the house after talking to Sebastian two marked squads had just arrived to comb the yard and house for any evidence that the killer was watching my family. I had wanted to ask earlier but hadn’t found the right time until now.

The Captain shuffled through the files on his desk, picked one up and opened it. He skimmed the contents then said, “No bugs or camera’s inside which is good. There were a couple spots in the bushes out front and on the garage side where some branches were broken or flattened. That could be where the SOB was hiding. But it could also be a spot where an animal or a neighborhood kid made a hiding spot. There were no obvious footprints unfortunately.”

“So the killer may or may not be chilling in the bushes outside my house?” I asked in frustration.

“That’s about it, yeah. Sorry Ash, I wish I had something more concrete to tell you.” he replied.

I could tell by the look on his face that he meant what he had said. “It’s alright Capt. So what does this information mean for the surveillance?”

“Doesn’t change a thing Ash. There were too many similarities besides the message to you personally at the last crime scene. For the near future there will be good guys watching your house so no psychos pay anymore visits. Even though the evidence is inconclusive I think we both know this person has probably been watching your family, at the very least on Christmas morning.”

“Unfortunately I agree, scares the crap out of me to admit that though.” I replied with a nervous sounding sigh. “Thanks Capt.”

 

“So Ash, you’re making this a bit of a game now, aren’t you?” the killer thought as she walked by Ashley’s house and noticed the unmarked cop car across the street. “Raising the stakes a bit? Good think I like a challenge. But this could get quite dangerous for you and your precious family Ash, you ready? You raised the stakes by calling in the cavalry, but I can raise the stakes even higher. You’re coming awfully close to making my list Miss Davies!”


	25. Chapter 25

The day after Christmas is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Millions of people head out to stores to return unwanted gifts or spend gift cards and money they received from living family members and friends. They flock to thousands of different stores to purchase the material things they really anted. The killer decided to do her won version of shopping on this winter morning.

As usual after creating her latest masterpiece the killer had three potential families to research. Although this time around she made it a little easier on herself by keeping the family in Greenfield and the Moore family in the mix. She had originally planned to pay each family a visit later today but that was before her rash decision to kill the Daniels family yesterday.

“Was that only yesterday?” the killer said aloud as she gazed at the new section of her trophy room dedicated to the Daniels family. “What a thrill! What a rush!” she uttered gleefully.

She forced herself to look away from the images and sat down at her computer. She reminded herself that no matter how thrilling the impulse killing of the Daniels family was, she needed to stick with her method. Though if that loser in Muskego hadn’t tried to take credit for her hard work she wouldn’t have strayed from her normal plan. Her research and observation method had served her well three times already in this area. Technically four times honestly because the Daniels had been a family that was one of her potentials earlier on but she had chosen the Garcia family instead.

At the thought of them she let her gaze drift over to another section of her trophy room. She looked at the cheesy posed pictures that had been on display throughout their home chronicling the family’s life together. They looked so happy and full of love for one another but the killer knew very well that pictures are deceiving. In their day to day lives the love displayed in these frames was nonexistent. Though in Jamie Jone’s last few minutes of life the killer saw that somewhere deep down this woman truly loved her family. As Jamie was handcuffed to a chair in the living room with the killer threatening her son and wife she cried, even begged for the killer to spare her family. She offered up everything in the house including her own life in exchange for the lives of Tony and Theresa. Little did Jamie know at the time material things didn’t matter to the killer and the plan all along was that Jamie’s life was going to be the final one ended in the killer’s plan. It made the whole experience more thrilling. As she gazed upon the final pictures of the Garcia family seated at their dining room table the killer smiled at her second of four masterpieces.

“Back to the task at hand!” the killer scolded herself as she turned back to the computer. She spent the rest of the morning seeking out useful facts about the new families on her list. She looked at family home pages, work sites for the parents, school sites for the kids, Facebook profiles, Twitter accounts and anything else she could find.

“If you think about it, it’s scary how much personal information one can find after only a few hours on the computer.” the killer said with a smirk. She was eager to begin her observations but she had to go to work soon. “What kind of people want family picture taken the day after Christmas?” the killer said shaking her head in a combination of annoyance and disbelief.

Before she walked out of her trophy room she looked at a small, special section of photos. These were not of a family she had killed, these were of her ex and her ex’s son. As she touched one of them she said, “Soon my dear. Soon you will be at the top of my list. Then you’ll get what you deserve and become my greatest masterpiece ever.”

 

A few hours later the killer sat at work bored out of her mind. All she wanted to do was start her observations but she was stuck here waiting on her last appointment of the day. She could never understand why people couldn’t show up on time. They call and make their own appointments so why is it so hard to show up at the time they requested.

Twenty minutes after the appointment time she was about to go find her boss and see if she could leave when the receptionist came in, “They just got here.”

“Wonderful!” the killer said rolling her eyes. “Give me five minutes. They made me wait so now they can wait for a little bit.” she finished with a smirk.

As she slowly straightened up the nearly spotless studio and double checked her camera settings she could hear a woman sounding furious in the waiting area. This made the killer smile, she lived putting bitchy women like this in their place. They think their time is so precious and everyone in the world should serve them.

The killer walked out to the lobby and suddenly got very happy about what she saw. There was the bitchy woman fuming, a man looking disinterested and a little boy who looked afraid to breath too loud. The perfect picture of family dysfunction in their Sunday best.

“I’m sorry for the slight delay.” the killer said with a convincingly fake warm smile. “Please come back.” she instructed, pointing towards the studio.

The woman spoke up immediately, “You have done family portraits before young lady, right? You seem awfully young.”

“I assure you Mrs. Collins, I have taken several beautiful portraits. I’m sure you will be pleased with the results.”

“I hope so.” the woman replied in a snotty, condescending tone.

The killer just smiled as she thought, “Screw the method, I just found my next masterpiece walking into my studio. Who knew work would be so productive today!!"

Throughout the entire photo shoot all the killer could think about was what kind of picture she wanted to create with this family. She figured it should be something that this bitchy woman would consider beneath her just for fun. Maybe another outdoor scene because this woman surely hated the idea of getting even a speck of dirt on her. And this poor boy looked afraid to smile too much. How much time this poor boy must spend doing everything he can to avoid his mother’s tirades. Is that any way to raise a child? The boy’s father seemed oblivious to anything and everything. It was too bad the boy had no one in his corner, except maybe the killer. She thought before the family left. “I’ll save you from your horrible family life, just give me a couple days at least.”

 

The killer raced home in excitement, though she did stay mindful of the speed limit because she didn’t want to be delayed by a stupid cop pulling her over. She couldn’t wait to do some research on the Collins family. She nearly ran into her trophy room, almost forgetting to even lock the front door but she quickly remedied that knowing little lapses in memory like that could cost her dearly someday.

Sitting at her computer she worked diligently into the wee hours of the morning. She found nearly all the information she needed to complete her fifth masterpiece, they would definitely be picture perfect when she was done with them. All that was left to gather needed to be done in person, not over the internet. She needed to see the layout of the house and backyard to finalize her plans.

“If everything goes as I have planned it, hopefully in less than a week the Collins family will be my next masterpiece. They will be wonderful!” the killer said aloud with a huge smile on her face.

It was times like these that the killer loved her work, the work she did for a paycheck. Not only did she take the photographs in the studio, she also processed and printed the final photos for the clients in her own home. This made the creation of her personal masterpieces that much easier because she always had a logical reason to be welcomed into their homes, the family never suspecting anything was amiss. They never suspected the danger that was coming.

The killer yawned and stretched, “It’s been a long yet extremely productive day.” She took one last look around her trophy room before heading to bed. She decided the pictures of the Collins family could wait a few hours. If she were to successfully observe the family, she needed at least a few hours of sleep to clear her head.


	26. Chapter 26

I decided to take the stairs up to the fifth floor to the DA’s offices. Since I came back to the station I’d been worried about how Sebastian was doing, so I called home as I walked.

“Hey Ash.” Aiden greeted.

“How are things going there?” I asked knowing Aiden could hear the concern in my voice.

“It’s been pretty quiet around here since the cops came through.” Aiden said, I could hear the annoyance in his voice. “Obviously Bash loved that but honestly it pissed me off a bit.”

“I’m sorry Aiden, I should have told you everything but…”

“Why didn’t you Ash?” Aiden interrupted me. “Why wouldn’t you tell me that you thought this psycho was watching us?”

“I was afraid.” I simply stated.

“No shit, the idea scares the crap out of me too but I deserved to know.” Aiden replied.

“You’re right Aiden and I’m sorry. But my greater fear was that you would pack up and move back to your mom’s house with Bash.” I quietly admitted.

Aiden didn’t respond right away, I acutally looked at my phone a couple times to make sure the call wasn’t dropped.

“I’m not going anywhere Ash.” Aiden finally replied. “I would be stupid to leave.”

“I’m sure the judge wouldn’t do anything to you for leaving.” I replied, thinking his concern was going against the judges ruling.

“Oh I don’t care about what that judge said, that’s not why it’d be stupid to leave, though you do have a valid point.” he answered. “My reasoning is that I’d be stupid to leave because you can’t protect us at my mom’s house.”

“What?” his response threw me for a loop.

“This psycho obviously knows you but if they’ve been watching us then they know Bash and I too. If we’re on their list, which is a scary thought, I’d rather have Bash here where you can protect him. Plus I think it would drive you nuts if we weren’t here. You need to concentrate on catching this guy, not worry about us living across town.”

I couldn’t believe his response. Something had really changed in him, this was not like the Aiden that had taken me to court. I was speechless.

“Ash? You still there?”

“Yeah, sorry. I just, you just…” I really didn’t know what to say.

“It’s okay Ash. You’ll find this guy and I know you won’t let anything happen to Bash. Now me on the other hand…” Aiden joked.

I laughed slightly. “Thanks Aiden?”

“No problem, it’s good to be on the same page you know?”

“Agreed!” I said with a smile.

“So I’ve got someone here who is jumping up and down anxiously wanting to talk to you.”

“Okay.” I said with a slight laugh and a smirk. I was walking towards Spencer’s office slowly because I was anxious to talk to Bash too.

“Hi Mommy!” Bash said excitedly.

“How’s it going sweetheart?” I asked, my smirk turning into a full out smile at the sound of my son’s voice.

“There were police officers here and they let me talk on their walkie talkie and sit in the cruiser.” he rattled off excitedly. “I got to talk to somebody on the radio in the car too.”

“Wow, that’s pretty cool buddy.” I responded as I arrived at Spencer’s door. Instead of knocking on the door I leaned against the wall next to the door, I wanted to talk to Bash just a bit longer.

“Is Aunty Hayley with you mommy?”

“Actually she ahd to take somebody from the FBI out to a ocuple of crime scenes and I’m here at the station.” I replied.

“Cool! Can I meet the FBI guy sometime?” he asked excitedly.

“I’m sure that can be arranged.” I answered as Spencer’s door opened and she popped her head out.

“I thought I…” Spencer started to say but I held up my finger to tell her to give me another minute.

“So do you know who the bad guy is yet mommy?” Bash asked with a trace of sadness in his voice.

“Not yet sweetheart but I’m working on it.”

“Okay mommy. Get back to work then and I’ll see you when you get home maybe.”

“Will do.” I said but heard the call end. “Bash?” I said then looked at my phone and laughed. “My six year old just told me to get back to work and hung up on me.”

“Isn’t that something parents say to their kids.” Spencer joked.

“You’d think so but Bash is an unusual little boy.” I responded with a laugh then continued, “Well I guess we better get started, since I was told to and all.”

“Absolutely, come on in. I’ve got us set up over here.” Spencer said pointing to a corner of her office with two comfy looking chairs and a coffee table with case files and a laptop on it. “I figured it’s more comfortable over here as opposed to sitting at the desk.”

“Works for me.” I said with a shrug. I had to keep reminding myself to focus on the cases not on how attractive Spencer was.

“Plus for some reason I can think better over here.” Spencer continued as she sat down and pulled the computer onto her lap. “I figured we can chat a bit then we can take a lunch break.”

“Okay,” I replied as I pulled out my own computer. “Have you read over the case files?”

“I have,” Spencer answered with a nod. “Not really they type of bed time reading I prefer, it’s all a bit too disturbing.”

“Huh?” She threw my train of thought off by mentioning bed. I really could not figure out what was wrong with me. I had to work with attractive women all the time, honestly my partner was beautiful and I deal with it just fine everyday. Why was I having so many issues being around this particular woman?

“I was just saying these cases are disturbing. You may be used to seeing these kinds of things but I’m not.” Spencer admitted.

“Trust me, you never get used to stuff like this. I’ve just gotten good at focusing on the facts and not thinking about the gory details.” I explained.

Spencer smiled and my heart melted a bit. She had such a beautiful smile. “Well it’s good to know there are feelings behind that tough exterior Detective.”

Was she flirting with me? I found it sad that I couldn’t tell the difference between that and just friendly conversation. I didn’t even know if she was gay or straight. But honestly that doesn’t matter because we were working on these cases together. I needed to keep my mind on the cases, not on how cute Spencer looked sitting the chair across from me with her legs folded under her and the computer on her lap.

“Ashley?” Spencer questioned bringing me back out of my internal dialogue.

I shook my head, “I’m sorry. I guess I just have a lot on my mind.”

“I can only imagine.” she responded sympathetically. “Is everything okay with your family? I’ve heard you were close with the last victim.”

“Yeah, my son’s dad, my sister and I all grew up with Aaron. My son was really close with Shaun. I’m not really sure how Bash is handling all of this, he just wants me to catch this guy.”

“Bash?” Spencer questioned with an amused look on her face. “Interesting name.”

“Well Sebastian isn’t the type of name with a lot of nickname options.” I replied with a smile.

“Valid.” she replied with that smile on her face again. But after a moment her facial expression quickly changed. “This case makes me think of my brother and his family. Him and his girlfriend have a little four year old boy. It’s scary that they fit this psychos type. I can’t even imagine what must be going through your head given where my head has been since reading these files.”

“I’m just trying to get through the day hour by hour honestly. So did you have any questions about what you read?” I said trying to bring the conversation back to the task at hand instead of personal things. Hopefully keeping the conversation on the cases would keep my mind off of Spencer and off the possible danger at home.

“Well the facts seem pretty cut and dry. Four families killed with a combination of gun and knife. No forced entry and more annoyingly no trace of the sick fuck who did this.” Spencer rattled off looking frustrated.

“That’s the just of it.” I said nodding my head.

“Well how do you figure you’re going to catch this guy before another family dies?” Spencer asked.

I replied with a shrug. “If we can understand the significance of the bits and pieces we do have then maybe we can figure him out.”

Spencer got up and walked towards the door, “Alright, let’s have lunch then you can explain about your bits and pieces theory.”


	27. Chapter 27

I had to admit it was nice having an assistant to run out for food. Spencer’s assistant got us sandwiches from The Water Street Brewery which was better food than we usually ate on the homicide floor. A definite bonus of someone else picking up the tab and eating in an office where they rarely get called to a scene at any moment.

“From the few words the Chief said to you earlier it seems we may have at least one thing in common Detective.” Spencer said obviously trying to make small talk over lunch.

“Really, how’s that?” I asked finding myself curious about where this would go.

“I’m guessing we’re both trying to break out of our fathers shadows.” She replied.

“You got that from his confidence in Hayley and I then telling me to say hi to my father from him?” I asked with a laugh.

“Well that and I used my own detective skills a bit.” Spencer admitted with a smirk.

I looked at Spencer and raised an eyebrow at her then said, “You checked up on me?”

Spencer nodded almost shyly, “Guilty. But to be honest I checked into you, your partner and your Captain a little. I like to know who I’m working with.”

“Interesting.” I said nodding my head. “But you know you could have just talked to us if you wanted to get to know us, that usually works really well too. We don’t bite, well Hayley might but God knows she likes to talk about herself a lot.” I finished with a smile.

“Valid,” Spencer replied. She remained quiet for a while, seeming like she just wanted to concentrate on eating. Finally she broke the silence, “Does it bother you that I asked around about you?”

I really considered my answer before I spoke. I didn’t want to offend her but if did bother me a little. I was not Miss Popularity around the force so who knows what kind of information she may have gathered.

Spencer nervously spoke again, “Look I’m sorry if I pissed you off Ashley. Honestly I didn’t mean to pry. Detectives Jones and Jameson came up here last week to talk about an upcoming trial they’re testifying in and I asked them about you three.”

That was a relief, at least those two liked me. “It’s okay Spencer, just from now on if you have any more questions came straight to the source.” I answered as nicely as I could , even adding a smile.

“I will.” Spencer replied with obvious relief. “So I’ve heard great things about your father. Does that make your job tougher?”

Wow back to the father question, obviously this is a subject she wants to discuss so I shrugged then answered. “Sometimes, but it’s okay. I know I’m good at my job and those close to me know it too so that’s all that matters. Those assholes in other departments who think I got where I am because of my dad aren’t worth my time. I’m just a regular cop, too bad they don’t just think I slept my way up the ranks like any other female that outranks them.”

“That’s a good and interesting attitude to have.” Spencer replied with a laugh.

“So how about your dad? What’s the story there? You said we had father issues in common.” I countered.

“Well my dad was a very successful defense attorney and is now a high paid corporate attorney. I went to law school, just like my brothers Glen and Clay to make our father happy. We all had to choose our own path of course and my brothers chose to not work in my fathers practice. I felt I had to work for my father cause they didn’t, although mostly I was treated like a kid and a gopher.” Spencer admitted.

“So that’s why you came to work with the common folk?” I joked.

“Yeah something like that. I wanted to actually do something meaningful. After a year I realized why my brothers didn’t want to work for my father.” Spencer smirked.

I wasn’t really sure what to day, it was awkward to hear about other peoples dysfunctional families. I figured I’d change the subject slightly, “So you said you have a nephew?”

Spencer beamed as she replied, “Actually I have two nephews and a niece. My brother Clay and his wife Chelsea have a two year old son, Michael and a seven month old baby girl, Sierra. Then my other brother and his girlfriend have a five year old son, Jordan. They are so much fun and all three have totally different personalities.”

“Kids definitely keep things interesting, that’s for sure. Did you ever want any of your own?” I don’t know what compelled me to ask such a personal question but I decided to wait and see how she responded.

Spencer considered the question for a few moments before answering, “Maybe in the future, meaning for a five years from now maybe. I’m only thirty so I have some time but not as much as I used to when I considered having kids. Right now I’m too focused on my career to have much of a social life, much less think about having a kid. How about you Detective?”

I tried not to but I burst out laughing.

Spencer spoke quickly, “I mean do you have any nieces or nephews? Or I guess I’m asking do you think you’ll ever have more kids some day? Either question really I guess.”

I took a deep breath to control my laughter because Spencer’s reddened cheeks showed she was embarrassed. “Well I have twin thirteen year old nephews, that’s it so far. My sister Kyla complains about them all the time but I think secretly she wants more kids, especially a girl. She hates being outnumbered.”

“Your sister is the ME right?” Spencer asked a bit more confidently than her last couple of questions.

“That she is.” I said.

“I hear she’s one of the best in the state from some of my colleagues.” Spencer said.

“I like to think so, but my opinion is biased, I can admit. Our father always taught us if you’re going to commit to do something you better be the best.” I finished with a big smile.

“You know when you smile like that your nose crinkles up.” Spencer said with a laugh then added, “It’s cute.”

I didn’t know how to respond to her comment. Was it just that, an innocent comment? Or was she flirting with me? Plenty of people had told me that before but for some reason Spencer saying it made me blush.

“So, ah, back to our topic. Your Dad’s attitude sounds familiar. Do you have any other siblings in law enforcement I should know about?” Spencer asked.

I shrugged and replied, “Depends on how you look at it.”

Spencer looked confused, “I’m hoping there’s an explanation to the at response. Usually the sibling question is pretty cut and dry.”

“Of course.” I smirked then continued. “My parents only had two kids so technically the answer is no. But ever since I became friends with Hayley at the academy my parents pretty much adopted her into the family. If you ask my parents they have three daughters.”

Spencer nodded and said, “Makes more sense now. So have you guys been partners for a while?”

“Our whole careers with the exception of my maternity leave I guess. Though even then she was at my house everyday either studying for the detectives exam or bouncing ideas off me about work. Drove Aiden nuts but oh well.” I finished with a laugh remembering how pissed off he was everyday Hayley walked in the door.

“So your family loves Hayley but Aiden’s not a big fan of her?” Spencer asked.

“Aiden and Hayley have grown since then. They’re not exactly best friends but they at least get along now. But Hayley and Kyla on the other hand have a total love/hate relationship. Depending on the minute they are either best friends or bitter enemies. It’s annoying and highly entertaining all at the same time.”

This made Spencer laugh, “I can only imagine.”

I was actually sad when we had both finished our food. I had enjoyed talking with Spencer and for the most part the conversation had flowed so easily. I found myself wanting to know more about this woman I had only met today.

“Well Detective, before we get back to work you still have one question of mine to answer.” Spencer said.

“What was that?” I asked cause I honestly had no clue what she wanted to know.

“I asked earlier, did you want to have more kids? You asked me and I answered, so I figured it’s only fair you answer too.”

“Oh yeah,” I remembered then immediately wondered why she wanted to know. I thought about asking but decided to answer her question instead. “Maybe someday because I love being a Mom but right now I am too focused on my career.”

“And Aiden is okay with that?” Spencer inquired.

This question again made me laugh. “Aiden and I haven’t been a couple for a few years so it’s none of his concern. And as Hayley loves to point out I have no social life what so ever so no prospects to start a family with exist.”

This made Spencer laugh, “Well I’m sure it’s not easy to find a guy willing to go toe to toe with you.”

“What?” her statement caught me completely off guard.

“Well you seem like a very strong, independent woman. I can’t imagine it’s easy to find guys secure enough to handle that.” Spencer stated.

I studied Spencer’s face for a few moments to see if she was joking with me, but her expression said she was dead serious. It was too much and I busted out laughing.

“What?” Spencer said before nervously joining in my laughter. “What did I say that was so funny?”

I composed myself slightly then asked, “You said you asked Jameson about me, right?”

“Yeah,” she answered tentatively then added, “Her partner Jones too.”

“And did you get the impression that Jameson has a crush on me?” I asked.

Spencer thought for a moment, “Now that you mention it they both kinda seemed to. Either that or hero worship, who knows.”

“That’s cute,” I said with a laugh.

Spencer actually looked a little annoyed now. “Are you gonna tell me what has you laughing like a hyena or should we get back to work?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to tick you off Spencer. I’m just surprised no one said anything about my personal life, they’ve never been quiet about it before. Jamison especially usually loves to dish about my personal life.”

“Well I heard you had a son, what else am I missing?” Spencer asked.

“Hmmm,” I really wasn’t sure if I should tell her or not. If I was mistaking friendly conversation for flirting then she might freak. I hate it when I don’t know what people’s reaction will be.

“Would you just tell me what I’m missing already?” Spencer insisted.

“Spencer, I’m gay.” I blurted out then looked at her anxiously awaiting her reaction.

Spencer nodded her head, “Oh, another thing we have in common. Shall we get back to work?”


	28. Chapter 28

It had been three hours since Hayley had left the station with John Hotchner to check out the crime scenes and she was bored as hell. They had just arrived at the Davidson house having spent over two hours walking around the Olsen’s house. Seeing that the two houses were not even five minutes apart it was crazy to Hayley how long this FBI guy took looking at an abandoned house.

“Nice neighborhood.” John comments as he looked around.

“It was,” Hayley replied sadly. “Two multiple murders kinda taints the place a little.”

“Yeah, I could see how that might happen.” He replied with a nod. “But people do move past horrors like this, eventually.”

“Maybe.” Hayley said with a shrug as she led John into the house.

 

“What a jerk.” the killer commented as she sat between the garage and the Davidson house eavesdropping on Hayley and the man with her.

Before heading over to the Collins house she decided to take a drive past Ashley’s house. She wanted to know just how many eyes were on the detectives house. She knew it was risky to pass by her house too many times but she could not help herself.

In order to get there she had to go past the Olsen’s house where she had noticed Hayley’s car in the driveway. With her curiosity peaked she quickly parked a couple blocks away and walked back.

After watching them for a few moments the killer had determined two things for sure. First, Ashley was not here with Hayley which was disappointing. Secondly, she did not recognize the man with Hayley but he seemed to be studying the house inch by inch, which she found comical. He wouldn’t find anything new or interesting, it had been months since she had been in that house besides the fact that she was too good to leave behind any clues to her identity.

Now that they were at the Davidson’s house the killer figured this guy must be new to the case. Maybe he was one of the cops investigating her other masterpieces from New Berlin or Muskego checking out these scenes to find similarities. Amazingly her desire to identify this man was greater than her desire to swing by Ashley’s house or to observe the Collins family so she continued to carefully lurk.

Two hours later the killer was following Hayley’s car down Beloit road. She wasn’t sure where they were heading because the road lead to both New Berlin and Muskego. When they went straight through the intersection of Beloit and National she realized they must be heading to the Garcia’s home on Overlook drive.

“This guy must be one of those idiots from Muskego.” the killer said with a laugh as she drove past the Garcia’s house. She parked in the drive way of an empty house where her car was hidden form the road by trees and bushes. She walked through a farmers field and snuck up to the house where the cops were looking around.

She listened intently to the bits of conversation she could hear.

 

“Another nice neighborhood, I’m sensing a pattern.” John commented as they walked around the house.

“Most in New Berlin are but especially out here. Nice and quiet with large yards.” Hayley replied.

“I imagine our unsub probably grew up in a fairly nice area. Probably still lives in a similar neighborhood if not the same one they grew up in.” John thought out loud.

“Do they tend to stick with what they know?” Hayley asked. Although she was bored and had solved plenty of single murders, serial killers were not a normal occurrence in Milwaukee. She wasn’t stupid, she knew she could learn some valuable information from John.

“Not always but when the crimes are more personally motivated like these seem to be it tends to be the case.” John explained.

“Do they teach you FBI guys to speak so noncommittally all the time?” Hayley joked.

“It’s one of the most popular classes at Quantico actually.” John joked back. 

 

The killer could barely catch her breath when she got back to her car. She ran like hell, faster than she could ever remember, from the Garcia home.

“Holy shit the FBI is in on this?” She cried aloud as she gasped for breath in her car. Normally the killer excelled at staying calm but at this moment she felt anything but calm.

The feeling coming over her was completely unfamiliar, totally foreign in fact. She figured she was panicking. What else could it be? She figured the most important thing now was to regain her composure.

After a few moments the killer regained her breath and began to analyze the situation.

“The FBI is aiding the MPD with their investigation. I knew this would probably happen eventually. It’s sooner than I thought obviously but it will be okay. I’ve been extremely careful every step of the way. The FBI won’t find anything, just like Ashley and Hayley and their peers found nothing.”

The killer felt in control to drive so she pulled out on to Overlook but instead of passing the house again she went over the hill. Her question about the man with Hayley was answered so she decided to return to her original plan, sort of anyways. She had planned to observe the Collins family for three days then create her masterpiece on the fourth day. Given the new development in investigative personnel she felt an acceleration in her time table was appropriate. She’d observe today then tomorrow would be the day.

With a smirk the killer thought aloud, “I can’t look at the addition of the FBI as a deterrent. No, it just gives me another challenge to overcome, just like the police surveillance at Ashley’s house. And I definitely love a challenge!”


	29. Chapter 29

Big surprise, I was again rendered speechless by Spencer. This was becoming way too familiar. But I guess on the bright side of things at least now I knew that she’s gay, Hayley will be thrilled by this development.

“So, back to the bits and pieces then?” Spencer asked with a silly smirk on her face.

I gave an exaggerated sigh then replied, “I suppose, since that is why I’m here.”

That comment made Spencer laugh before she spoke again, “When you went to the two scenes what struck you first about the scenes?”

“Well the whole staging aspect I guess. All three victims in each house were killed in one room and staged in a completely different room. Definitely an eerie and unusual similarity.” I stated, hating that I was stating the obvious.

Luckily Spencer didn’t seem to think anything of it, she just typed away on her computer then replied, “True. The Olsen’s were seated at the dinner table and the Davidson’s around the Christmas tree. What does that tell us exactly?”

“I would be guessing Spencer. I’m pretty sure this is why they brought in an FBI profiler.” I replied.

“A valid point Ashley but you were actually there. I’ll get the profile from John eventually but you’re the lead detective so I’d love to hear your take on it, even if it is just a guess.” Spencer finished with a smile.

“Well both are kind of stereo typical happy family scenes. And from what I saw in the other two cases crime scene photos those scenes fell into the same category.” I explained.

Spencer typed on her computer then replied, “Right, the Garcia family in New Berlin was in their family room with Apples to Apples set out in front of them but they were killed in their dining room. Then the Ross family in Muskego were killed in their living room then staged outside with the grill going.”

“So the killer seems to want these families to be found appearing like they were your typical happy family. Although from interviews with friends and family these people were anything but happy families.”

“Even your friends?” She asked while staring at her computer screen. “I don’t see any interviews with those close to them.”

“Yeah, unfortunately I have to admit that Aaron and Adrienne were on the outs lately too. He was working a lot and she was acting kind of distant. As far as I know he wasn’t having an affair but I can’t be sure.” I sighed out of frustration then continued a bit more angrily. “I wish I could say they didn’t fit in with these other families but they do. And there’s still the mystery woman from the scene who has yet to be identified.”

Spencer seemed to ignore my emotional tone about my friends and kept on the main topic. “But why? Why go to all the trouble of setting this up? It makes no sense to me honestly.”

I smiled then replied, “I’d hope this doesn’t make sense to you.”

Spencer looked up at me and I saw the confusion cross her face, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“This killing ritual makes sense to the killer. It’s a good thing that we don’t understand why or how they can do these horrible things since we’re the good guys.” I said with a smile.

“Ahhh.” Spencer replied nodding her head.

Since Spencer seemed deep in thought I decided to continue, “Somehow we need to figure out what the killer is trying to tell us by their ritual. Obviously this person has some serious family issues.”

Spencer laughed and replied, “Don’t we all?”

I couldn’t help but laugh too. “Valid but normal people don’t go around killing innocent families because mommy didn’t love them or daddy was too busy to play catch after dinner.”

“Excellent point Detective!” Spencer answered. “So where are we on suspects?”

I sighed because this was the most frustrating thing, “Well, we had one but they had an alibi for the Garcia murder so they didn’t pan out.”

“Really?” Spencer said as she busily typed on her computer again, “I don’t remember reading about any suspects.”

“As I said she didn’t pan out. I think she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time on the Olsen murder.” I replied.

“Who?” Spencer insisted.

“Alright,” I rolled my eyes. “A reporter from the Journal Sentinel, Madison Duarte.”

“Madison was a suspect?” Spencer asked, the surprise obvious in her voice and expression.

“I take it you’ve heard of her?” I answered with a smile. “Or are you a fan of her writing?”

“Well yes on both accounts kind of,” Spencer answered with a beaming smile of her own. “She’s also the mother of my nephew. She’s Glen’s soon to be fiancée.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” I said quietly.

“No, don’t be sorry. There was obviously a reason you suspected her.” Spencer quickly replied as she read something on her computer. After a few moments she spoke again. “Wow, I had no idea she’s the one that found the Olsen family. I’m surprised she didn’t brag about that one.”

“No offense Spencer but I thought you said you read through the case files.” I said slightly annoyed.

My annoyance didn’t last long after Spencer blushed. “You got me Detective, I only skimmed the more gruesome details. I didn’t figure the small details were that important.”

I shook my head then replied, “In a case like this it’s all important. From the big bloody picture to the dry cleaner they use or the liquor store they frequent. You never know what detail may break a case like this. Usually the key is in what seems like an insignificant detail.”

“Point taken,” Spencer replied. “So is there anything that reveals anything about the killer that can help?”

“Define help.” I replied since I was not sure what she was fishing for.

“Age? Physical build? Gender?” Spencer rattled off.

I considered what she was asking before I answered, “”Probably young-ish, meaning twenties or early thirties and in decent shape.”

“Because they had to stage the bodies right?” Spencer asked. I could tell she was hoping she was correct in her thinking. “So we’re probably looking for a strong, young guy?”

“Possibly but not necessarily.” I answered.

Spencer looked confused, “What do you mean by that?”

I didn’t have to think before I answered, “We have to consider the adrenaline factor.”

I could tell by her face Spencer was still confused so she asked, “Adrenaline factor?”

“Our killer could be weak as far as social standards. They could even be a woman. It’s a scientific fact that when someone’s adrenaline is in overdrive they can exhibit almost super human strength.”

“Can’t the same effects be found in drug users too?” Spencer asked seeming slightly frustrated, typing furiously on her computer.

“In theory yes but in my opinion our killer isn’t into heavy drugs that would influence their behavior in that way.” I stated confidently.

“How can you know for sure? I am reading right here that PCP users can exhibit almost super human strength.” Spencer rattled off.

“Well so can Schizophrenics but that doesn’t mean our killer is. Hell adults with Down Syndrome can be wicked strong, that doesn’t mean any of this applies to our killer.” I replied finding myself getting slightly annoyed.

“So what does apply to this bastard?” Spencer replied also seeming a bit annoyed.

“These crime scenes are too forensically clean for a serious drug user. I’m not ruling out that our killer may be a recreational drug user but they are definitely not a hard core user. Honestly the scenes are too clean for any of the explanations I have thrown out. The person we’re looking for is highly organized, even their impulse kill was forensically clean.” I explained.

Spencer took a couple deep breaths, “So how do we catch this guy?”

“There ahs to be a link between the victims. The killer finds their victims somehow. We find that link and we will find our killer, I have no doubt about that.” I stated. I just wish it were as simple as it sounded.

“Why do I get the feeling we’re looking for a needle in a haystack?” Spencer asked.

“Because we are.” I answered with a shrug.

“Good to know.” Spencer added with a nod and a smirk.


	30. Chapter 30

It was almost seven in the evening and I was still at my desk. I had been looking through every bit of information we had on the four family murders since I left Spencer’s office over two hours ago. I was looking for anything that could provide even the smallest clue, I needed a break in this case. I knew there had to be something I had missed and it was pissing me off.

“Hey partner, what the hell are you still doing here?” Hayley said surprising me as she plopped down in her chair, I hadn’t heard anyone come in.

“Shit, you scared me.” I said then smiled at her, “But since you asked, I’m in search of a needle. Wanna help?” I finished, holding a couple case files up.

“The haystack is way too fucking big hey?” Hayley replied with a smirk of her own.

I sighed and replied, “Unfortunately.”

“Well I’ve got a stellar idea partner, way better than working. Let’s go down to that bar down the street from your house, get a pizza, some beer and see what we come up with.”

“Come up with?” I questioned.

“You know, find this needle in the haystack you’re looking for.” Hayley replied as if it were obvious.

“I thought your stellar idea was better than work.” I replied with a laugh.

Hayley opened her mouth to say something but paused for a few seconds then finally replied, “Okay you got me there. But I think working over pizza and beer is way better than being stuck in here. You in?”

“Sounds like a good plan actually, I’m in. You mind if I call Kyla? I figure it couldn’t hurt to pick her brain about this too.”

Hayley shrugged and gave me a tired smile. “Works for me. After the day I had, I just want the beer.” 

 

When we arrived at Happy Tap Kyla was already sitting at a table in the corner of the bar.

“Hey ladies, I already ordered food.” Kyla greeted us.

“Should I go ahead and order another pitcher right away?” Hayley offered. There were three full pint glasses on the table and a less than a quarter full pitcher.

Kyla shook her head and said, “It should be here shortly.” She smiled, held up her glass to us then downed nearly half in one swig.

“You read our minds from across town sis?” I asked with a smile as I sat down.

“Well if your guys day was anything like mine we’ll need a couple more pitchers before everything is said and done.” Kyla replied glumly.

“That good, hey?” Hayley asked before downing almost half her glass in one gulp, just like Kyla.

All I could do was smile. I could just tell we were in for a long drunken night.

Kyla sighed, “Well for starters I’ve got two boys with the flu at home.”

It was my turn to sigh, “Great now Bash will probably be sick. And we all know who he wants at his side when he’s sick!”

“Mommy of course. But don’t we all want a beautiful woman to take care of us when we’re sick.” Hayley joked.

“Oh shut it you.” I replied with a playful glare.

“Yeah, good luck with that Ash.” Kyla said then quickly changed topic, “So anyways then there were two gang shoot outs last night which turned into fourteen extra autopsies today on top of the six we already had scheduled for today.” She finished with an exhausted sigh.

“Wow, I’m surprised you managed to get out of the office sis.” I replied.

“Well we can only do so much. I had to call in some help for the overnight shift.” Kyla informed us.

“Ouch,” Hayley quietly replied. “And I thought spending at least two hours at each house from our family murders with Mr. FBI was bad.

“That just sounds boring. Did anything new come from it?” Kyla asked.

Hayley shook her head then replied, “Won’t know until he formulates his profile which I can probably already guess.”

No one spoke for a few moments. Kyla and I both looked at Hayley figuring she was going to continue. When it seemed she wasn’t Kyla broke the silence, “Well what’s your guess Detective smarty pants?”

Hayley put her beer down and replied, “Isn’t it obvious? White male, late twenties to early thirties. He’s strong but not intimidating, probably looks like someone you could trust. Probably has a decent knowledge of forensics since the scenes are so clean. I’m sure he has family issues in his past, maybe a foster kid.” She finished with a shrug then gulped down the rest of her beer.

I decided to chime in, “I gotta agree that’s the picture I’ve formed in my head too. Unfortunately that describes a lot of guys in just the city of Milwaukee, not to mention the suburbs. How the hell do we narrow down which one is our psycho?”

“Did our lovely ADA have any enlightening thought on the matter?” Hayley asked with a semi teasing tone.

“The ADA?” Kyla butted in before I could speak. “What does she have to do with anything?”

Hayley chimed in before I could get a word in, “Your sister spent most of the day stuck in our ADA’s office. I’m guessing that’s why she didn’t chime in on the bad day griping you and I did. Being locked away in an office with a beautiful woman sounds like a wonderful way to spend a day.” Hayley finished with a goofy grin.

I must have blushed slightly cause Kyla quickly jumped in, “You like her don’t you sis?”

“Why would you say that?” I snapped back. “Besides I just met the woman today. A few hours is not enough time to formulate an opinion about someone.”

Kyla laughed and replied, “I say that because I now you better than you know yourself sis. And I am a firm believer in the idea that first impressions tell you a lot about someone, so a few hours is more than enough time to form opinions and feelings about a person.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. I knew there was no way to avoid this topic so I replied, “Well for your information I like her as a co-worker, nothing more.”

“Sure, sure.” Hayley replied. “Is she gay?”

“Yes but that has nothing to do with the fact that I respect her as a colleague.” I replied defensively.

Kyla smiled, “Sure, you keep telling yourself that sis.”

“So then can I ask her out partner?” Hayley asked with a sly smile.

“No!” Kyla and I answered immediately in unison.

“Wow!” was all Hayley could manage to say.

Kyla explained first, “Hayley there is no reason to make the situation complicated. We all have to work with this woman.”

“Why would I make it complicated?” Hayley questioned defensively.

I tried not to laugh as I replied, “Hayley, hun we’ve talked about you sleeping with women we work with . Remember, no one night stands with women you see on a daily basis.”

“Hey, I said ask her out.” Hayley said, again defensively.

“We all know how your dates end sweetie. And don’t even try to deny it.” Kyla said with a knowing look towards Hayley.

“She could be into it, you never know.” Hayley replied with a shrug. When she saw the skeptical looks on both Kyla and my face she added. “But okay, because I love you Ash I’ll wait till after we catch this son of a bitch.”

“Gee, how thoughtful.” I replied with a laugh, then added “Maybe wait till after he’s convicted. Just to be sure.”

Just then the waitress walked up, “Cheese bread and large supreme pizza?”

Kyla answered, “That’s us.”

Our waitress was Jesse who happened to be a friend of mine. She put the food down and grabbed the empty pitcher, “Here you are and I’ll be right back with another pitcher.”

“Thanks Jesse.” I said as she walked away.

“How do you know her?” Hayley asked.

“She’s Jagger’s mom.” I answered then quickly added, “She’s married to a man.”

We all laughed then dug into the food.

 

Spencer had barely opened the door when she heard her nephew Jordan yelling, “Mommy, Aunty Spency’s home!”

It always made Spencer laugh when Jordan called her name. When he first learned to talk her whole name proved too difficult. Since he had mastered Mommy and Daddy she became Spency and even though he was fully capable of saying Spencer now, he decided Spency was way better.

“Hey sis, how was your day?” Madison asked as she walked into the kitchen.

“It was alright, how about yours?” Spencer asked. She knew full well Madison was digging for information form her meeting with Ashley since Glen couldn’t hide anything from his girlfriend but she wasn’t going to give up anything that easily.

Madison glared slightly then said, “How was your meeting about the family killer case?”

“Informative,” Spencer replied with a shrug as she opened the fridge. “What’s for dinner?”

“Really?” Madison replied obviously annoyed. “You’re not gonna tell me anything?”

“Well technically I can’t, you being a member of the press and all.” Spencer replied trying not to laugh.

Madison rolled her eyes then said, “I’m your sister for god sakes.”

“Not legally, yet.” Spencer said turning to face Madison, showing her a big goofy grin.

Madison couldn’t help but laugh then replied, “Only because your brother doesn’t know what’s good for him.”

“True, I suppose.” Spencer replied laughing.

“Mommy, when are we gonna eat dinner?” Jordan whined suddenly form the doorway.

“Soon honey, go bug your father for a while.” Madison replied to her son who smiled and ran off. “Girl, let’s make these boys some dinner before they get as grouchy as me.”

“Why are you grouchy Madison?” Spencer asked though she was dreading the answer.

Madison sighed, “Well between my boss giving me shit assignments and you withholding valuable info, why wouldn’t I be grouchy?”

Spencer decided this was the perfect opening for the question she had on her mind. “So why didn’t you tell me you were questioned by the cops about these cases? And why did I not know you found and identified the Olsen family?”

Madison sighed again the replied calmly, “Glen told me not to talk about it, especially with you. Something about ethics since you’re an ADA now and all.”

“Ahhh,” Spencer replied with a nod. “I was just surprised when Ashley mentioned it to me.”

Madison smiled and asked, “SO what did you think of Detectives Davies and Williams?”

Spencer shrugged, “Hayley seemed interesting but I didn’t interact with her too much today.”

“Why not?” Madison inquired.

“The Captain sent her out on another assignment. Ashley and I went over everything in my office.” Spencer stated, being careful to not give Madison any details.

“Really?” Madison replied raising her eyebrows.

“What?” Spencer asked quickly.

“Oh nothing.” Madison replied with a goofy grin. “So what did you think of Ashley?”

Spencer thought for a moment before responding, “She seems extremely intelligent and driven. I got the impression she’s not happy about my involvement so early on in this case but she was very helpful.”

Madison smiled then said, “She’s very attractive too, hey?”

“That she is.” Spencer said automatically then quickly continued, “But um that’s beside the point. From everything I’ve heard and from talking to her she is very good at our job. I think her and Hayley the best chance MPD has of finding this psycho.”

Madison laughed, “Nice attempt at a cover.”

Spencer knew her cheeks were turning red so she looked away from Madison and made no comment.

“You like her don’t you?” Madison asked. “And don’t you try and lie to me Spencer Carlin because you suck at it.”

“I just met her today Madison.” Spencer said trying to blow off the idea.

“So?” she replied now glaring at Spencer in an amused way.

Spencer took a deep breath then admitted, “Yeah, I think I do but she’s a colleague so that’s as far as anything will go.”

Madison smirked and replied, “We’ll see about that chica.”


	31. Chapter 31

“Why are you giving me such a hard time about Spencer anyways?” I asked, glaring at Hayley after the pizza was done and cleared away.

She just laughed and replied, “It’s not often that big bad Ashley Davies is rendered speechless by a pretty face.”

“Rendered speechless at all is amazing, no matter who caused it.” Kyla added smiling.

“Very funny guys,” I replied rolling my eyes. “But it’s complicated.” I added quietly.

Hayley immediately stopped laughing and gave me an intense look before saying, “You’re not thinking about your crazy ex are you?”

“Which one?” I replied dismally knowing these two knew my assorted past.

“Well there’s Carmen obviously or the crazy Aunt.” Hayley stated simply. She watched my face intently to see which one I reacted to then nodded and said, “It’s been awhile since the crazy aunt case hasn’t it partner?”

“Crazy aunt?” Kyla asked obviously confused. A few moments later I saw the recognition on her face.

 

This case happened a little over four years ago, it was mine and Hayley’s first case as homicide detectives. Unfortunately it was also a case that nearly ruined my career.

Hayley and I were called out to a house on 93rd and Beloit. It’s a neighborhood much like the one I live in; nice and quiet with lots of city employees living there. The house itself was just three houses down from St. Matthias Catholic church.

The scene was a tough one, two children brutally stabbed to death in their own home. The killer had even killed the family dog and cat. The only survivor was the children’s twenty seven year old aunt who watched them after school. She was hysterical at the scene so she was taken to the hospital and medicated before we could get a statement. Hayley and I camped out at West Allis Memorial until she was ready to talk.

The interview was heart retching. She felt so guilty. She hadn’t meant to nap but she had worked fifteen hours overnight then another six hours at her second job before picking the kids up fro Fairview Elementary. She hadn’t heard anyone in the house from the basement where she had been sleeping. She wasn’t sure what woke her up but she quickly noticed the kids were no longer in the basement so she immediately went looking for them.

I felt so bad for this woman, it seemed to me she was just trying to support herself and her family. Who would have thought she’s wake up in the middle of a nightmare? I know I’ve dozed off a few time while Sebastian was playing in the living room. I was never on purpose and I can’t imagine what I would do if I woke up to what this woman did.

Against everything I had learned professionally I befriended this woman. I didn’t view her as a suspect but officially she was I say her as another victim of this horrible crime. As the months passed the investigation went cold but our friendship became more involved, not exactly dating but definitely involved. I guess you could say we were friends with benefits with the potential of becoming more serious.

Six months later the shit hit the fan. Hayley and I were in the neighborhood of Clare’s other sister’s house, which was only a few blocks form my own house. She was babysitting so we decided to stop by before we stopped by Kyla’s to check in on Jackson who was watching Sebastian and the twins. As we walked up to the house we heard a child scream and Clare yelling so we busted into the house with guns drawn. I was stunned when I saw Clare holding a knife to her three year old nieces throat, she was the same age as Sebastian.

“Clare, what the hell are you doing?” I cried out, dropping my gun to my side.

“She’s better off dead.” Clare calmly “My sister is a horrible mother. She’ll be spoiled rotten just like my other niece and nephew were. They’re better off now! And soon they will all be together again.”

I put my gun on the counter and walked up to Clare. Totally against every rule we learned in the academy about approaching someone with a weapon but I didn’t care. I stopped less than a foot away from her and the crying child then whispered, “Don’t do this Clare, it’s not too late to walk away.” pleading with my voice and my eyes.

“I have to Ashley. There’s no other…”

I caught her by surprise and grabbed her wrist with one hand and her niece with the other. With the knife away from the crying child I pulled her away and turned my back to Clare, shielding the little girl from harm. I paid for my actions with a knife to the right shoulder blade. But Clare received a gun shot wound to the left shoulder from Hayley.

Months later Clare pleaded not guilt by reason of insanity. Last I knew she was still in a state mental hospital but I hadn’t checked on her in over a year.

 

“I thought about shooting you that day too partner for being so stupid. That crazy bitch could have killed you.” Hayley said jolting me back to present day. Obviously her and Kyla were going over the finer details of the case while I was reliving it in my head.

“What happened to the girl?” Kyla asked.

I laughed then replied, “She’s in Bash’s class. He kinda has a crush on her actually but she already has a boyfriend. He’s waiting it out in the friend zone right now.”

“They’re so cute at that age.” Kyla replied with a smile.

I sighed and brought the subject back to our original topic, “I guess the long and the short of it is I’m leery of a pretty face until I know their motives.”

“You think our hot ADA has less than honorable motives?” Hayley asked with a smirk.

“Everyone has motives Hayley and I try to learn from my mistakes. Until I know what they are I proceed with caution in my words and actions.” I said then drained my glass.

“And people wonder why you’re still single.” Hayley said with a laugh. She refilled all three glasses then held hers in the air. “To caution.”

Kyla and I smiled then replied, “To caution.” Then we clinked our glasses and drained them.

“Just not too much caution tonight cause we all seem to want to drink heavily.” Hayley said with a laugh then turned towards the bar, “Can we get another pitcher over here, please?”

 

“Oh what a tale Ashley.” The killer thought as she watched the three women from a couple tables away. “You really seem to think you have bad luck with women don’t you? Sad really because you’re very attractive, especially when you smile just so and your nose crinkles.”

“Can I get you anything else?” the waitress interrupted the killers thoughts.

“No thank you.” The killer said with a smile then added, “Actually put a few pitchers on my tab for those three ladies over there.” She said pointing at Ashley, Hayley and Kyla.

The waitress seemed confused for a moment but then said, “Alright, I’ll bring your bill over in a minute.”

“Actually I was wanting to head out.” The killer said as she got up. “I’ll follow you up to the bar.”

 

Two hours later Hayley, Kyla and I stumbled up to the bar with a slight case of the giggles. I asked the bartender since I didn’t see Jesse around, “What so we owe you?”

Jesse came strolling out of the kitchen as I was asking. When she got to the bar she smiled and replied, “Nothing.”

“What?” all three of us asked in disbelief.

“Well Ash, I owe you for watching Jagger last week. Since you wouldn’t let me pay you this is my way of thanking you. Plus there was a woman here earlier who covered the rest of your tab.” Jesse replied.

“But…” I started to say.

“Thank you Jesse.” Kyla blurted out then leaned towards me. “Let’s go sis.”

Hayley and Kyla dragged me out before I could say anything more.

Once outside Hayley said, “Can I crash at your place Ash? Mine’s too far to walk to alone and I’m not driving tonight!”

“Yeah no problem.” I said. After a few moments I added, “Are we at all curious about who bought us beer tonight?”

“No!” Hayley and Kyla replied in unison with a laugh.

I shrugged then said, “It just concerns me that some anonymous person paid our tab.”

“Just be thankful sis, we drank a lot tonight.” Kyla said with a giggle.

“I guess.” I replied though I still felt unsettled by our mysterious admirer.

 

The killer watched the three women stumble their way home.

“You should be worried Ashley. Seeing that the killer you’re searching for is so close to you and paid your tab.” She said with a laugh. “Nighty night.”


	32. Chapter 32

I woke up with an expected headache. I should know better than to go out drinking with Hayley but last night I felt I deserved the night of fun.

Did I also deserve the memories of Clare and Carmen, I’m not sure on that one. I actually felt lonely when I got home, even though Hayley was sleeping on the futon in my living room. I know both women were toxic to me in different ways but that doesn’t change the fact that I had the urge to drunk text/call either of them. Of course realistically I could only contact Carmen as far as I knew. I checked my phone and was relieved when I saw no recent calls or texts, the last being a text to Aiden telling him I was going out.

I know Hayley enjoyed joking about my tendency to attract crazy women but I always took it more to heart than she intended me to. I may come off as a tough, female detective to most people but I’m pathetic when it comes to women.

“Okay, I go out a lot but I never usually feel like this.” Hayley grumbled at my bedroom door. “I guess that’s what I get for going out drinking with the Davies sisters.” She finished with a slight smile.

“Yeah well I’m not feeling completely human myself.” I replied smiling back at her.

“Good to hear. So since we’re both awake, make me some breakfast woman.” Hayley joked.

I got out of bed because I needed coffee, not because of Hayley’s comment. “Well aren’t we demanding in the morning.” I joked as I gently pushed her out of my way.

“It got you out of bed.” Hayley said with a satisfied smirk. “And heading to the kitchen.”

“My need for coffee got me this far, not your demand of food.” I replied with a laugh.

“But since we’re in the kitchen let’s make breakfast.” Hayley said. “What can I do to help?”

I laughed then answered, “Go watch TV.”

“Come on Ash, you don’t have to make all the food, I can help.” Hayley offered.

“I would like to eat breakfast without having to call the fire department.” Ashley said shaking her head, trying not to laugh. “And knowing your luck you’d probably cut yourself if I had you cut the potatoes. Then we may end up having to go to the ER. And don’t get me started on if I let you near the stove, so I’ll handle the food.”

Hayley rolled her eyes and immediately defended herself. “One little grease fire Ash, once! Am I ever going to live it down? And for the record I’m very good with a knife, thank you very much!”

Back when we first met in the academy Hayley and I , along with Kyla, went out for a girls night out much like last night. We all stayed at my house afterwards. Hayley woke up first and decided to surprise Kyla and I with breakfast. She surprised us alright when the smoke detectors started going off. I ran out of my room and heard her cussing in the kitchen. I saw the flames on the stove top and immediately grabbed a towel and a cookie sheet. I wrapped the towel around my hand and put the cookie sheet on top of the flaming pan then turned off the burner. No damage was done but I never really trusted Hayley in the kitchen after that morning, especially after drinking.

“You let Bash help you but you won’t let me help you?” Hayley asked with a slight pout.

“My son has never tried to set my house on fire before.” I joked trying not to make her feel bad.

“Okay, point taken.” Hayley conceded. “I’ll she what happened in the city overnight.”

“Or you could flip on cartoons.” I suggested. “They are far more entertaining, the new is so depressing.”

“Valid.” Hayley replied with a shrug. “But sometimes it’s interesting to know what we’re missing on our day off!”

As Hayley went to turn on the TV there was a knock at the door. Hayley answered it seeing as she was a foot from the door.

“Morning Aunty Hayley, where’s my Mommy?” Bash greeted excitedly.

“What’s up little man?” I said as I walked towards the door.

“Come down here Mommy, you gotta see this.” Bash said with a huge grin. He grabbed my arm and nearly pulled me down the stairs.

“Slow down buddy,” I said pulling my hand out of his grasp before I fell down the stairs. My head already hurt, I didn’t need the rest of me to join.

“Sorry Mommy.” He said, his sad eyes looking up at me.

“It’s okay sweetie. I’m just not moving as fast as you this morning.” I said with a reassuring smile to my son.

When we were outside I saw Aiden petting a small black cat. I already knew where this was heading, I was about to become a cat owner. Who knew I’d become a model, stereotypical lesbian? All I needed was some Birkenstocks and a U-Haul. Of course a girlfriend would probably be a necessity too, at least for the U-Haul.

My son spoke up and pulled me from my internal joking. “She’s really sweet Mommy. She came right up to me and started purring and rubbing up on my legs. Can we keep her?” Bash looked at me hopefully.

“What a cute cat.” Hayley said from behind me, startlingly me slightly because I hadn’t heard her come downstairs. She moved past me to pet the friendly kitty.

I had to admit the cat was cute. I’m not a cat person exactly but I didn’t mind them. I was particular though about the type of cat I would own if I had one. Of course this little kitty fit one of my types, a black cat with yellow eyes.

Aiden got up, came over to me and spoke quietly, “The cat hasn’t been a stray long. It seems healthy enough, it may be someone’s pet that got out recently.”

“Bash kept saying she, do we know if this little kitty is male or female?” I asked more out of curiosity than anything, it didn’t really matter one way or the other.

Aiden shrugged and said, “I have no clue how to tell, he just started calling the cat a she.”

“Fair enough. What do you think we should do?” I asked.

He shrugged again, “Maybe take her in. I can ask around the neighborhood, see if anyone is looking for her.”

Hayley came over by us leaving Sebastian with the cat, “So you gonna take her in?”

I looked at my son happily scratching the cats neck and sighed. “Yeah, I’ll take her upstairs. If no one claims her I guess we have a cat.”

Hayley got a huge excited smile on her face. “I can run out and get you supplies.”

“Take Bash with you. He’ll be thrilled.” Aiden suggested.

 

“Awe, adding to the happy dysfunctional family. How sweet.” The killer thought as she watched the scene unfold from a neighbors yard. “You just keep adding targets for me, don’t you Ash?”

She would have loved to spy on them more, especially on this unseasonably warm day, but the killer had big plans for the day ahead.

 

Although the cat had been friendly to us humans, she was not so happy when Bash brought Zebbie upstairs to meet her. We learned she was not a fan of dogs and that she had claws all at one time. Luckily the claw damage was reserved for only my arm and Zebbie’s ear, not Sebastian.

Sebastian spent the rest of the afternoon playing with our new kitty. First order of business was naming her. Sebastian wanted to name her something devilish because she was, in his words, a Halloween cat and I wanted anything other than your typical black names. I suggested Cain after a character in one of my favorite book series and explained to him that this character was considered the devil by some which satisfied him. Obviously the character was more complex than that but my son is only six, simple explanations are best.

I then spent the day on my computer going through everything I had on the family murders. It was frustrating as hell but I had to go over every little detail. There was something that could lead me to who was doing this I just had to find it. The killer seemed to be trying to talk to me through these crimes but what was he saying. And why me? There were twenty four homicide detectives in the city, not to mention those in the other cities the killer had struck, so what made me special to this guy?

 

The killer sat in her car in front of the Collins house. It was only three days after her last masterpiece but she felt ready. During the say she had exposed the proofs of their family pictures so she could approach the family for approval of the final photos. With the limited amount of research she had been able to do, she knew that Mr. Collins was a stay at home dad. He had been laid off from his job at Harley Davidson and had yet to find another job. Mrs. Collins on the other hand had a thriving career as a lawyer with Habush, Habush and Rottier law firm. Ambulance chasers always had work.

It was about five in the evening and Mrs. Collins would be home within the hour, the killer thought as she held a manila envelope in her hand. She got out of her car and walked towards the mailbox on the corner. The envelope was addressed to Ashley Davies at her office address. The killer knew the envelope would probably reach the detective after she heard about the crime scene but that was okay. She thoroughly enjoyed the idea of toying with the detective. In the envelope were pictures of three potential families, including the Collins family, and a piece of paper with cut out letters saying, “Possible targets!” It was a bit cliché but she liked it especially because the cops and the FBI seemed clueless, she felt she needed to up the excitement level. Obviously in the future she would send these parcels earlier in her process but the killer could do nothing about the timing for this family. She felt an overwhelming desire to give Ashley specifically a heads up on the next victim but in this case the timing didn’t allow for much. She was too eager to complete her next masterpiece.

As the killer dropped the envelope in the mailbox she saw the headlights of a silver Range Rover pulling into the Collins driveway. “Showtime!” the killer thought gleefully as she walked back to her car to get her tools: the proofs, a gun and a knife.


	33. Chapter 33

“Davies I need to see you in my office.” the Captain said as he passed our desk.

“What about me Capt.?” Hayley asked.

“No, just Davies.”

“This can’t be good.” Hayley said quietly to me.

I just shrugged, I didn’t know what to think. This was definitely not how I wanted to start my week. I had a fairly relaxing weekend. Bash spent most of it with me playing with Cain. I was amused to find out Cain enjoyed sleeping right above my head, on my hair. But that was the weekend and I was at work now.

“Are you okay Ash?” Hayley asked looking concerned, probably because I hadn’t moved or said anything yet.

I shook my head, clearing out the cob webs and said, “Yeah, of course.” and gave her a slight smile.

“Okay.” Hayley responded, eyeing me curiously. “Well you probably shouldn’t keep the Captain waiting.”

“True,” I nodded and got up, “I’ll fill you in soon. Hopefully this doesn’t take too long.” I may have seemed out of it to Hayley but that wasn’t exactly what was going on. My mind was going a mile a minute trying to figure out why the Captain wanted to see just me. My mind first went to Bash but I had just left him happily eating breakfast with Aiden, what could happen in a half an hour? Unfortunately, I knew some horrible answers to that question. I wondered if it has anything to do with my parents or Kyla. Maybe something happened to one of them. The only thing that made sense was that it had something to do with my family because anything else he would want to talk to both Hayley and I.

“Ashley. Close the door and have a seat.” the Captain said when I reached the door.

“Is everything okay Capt?” I asked actually feeling scared about this meeting.

“I wanted to let you know the latest on the Daniels case.” he replied.

“Okay.” I said skeptically.

“We have an ID on the woman found in the bedroom.” he stated then looked directly in my eyes. “It was Clare Lennox.”

My eyes went wide and I looked away from him. I tried to keep my expression neutral but one look back up at the Captain told me I was failing miserably.

“”I know this makes this case all the more personal for you Ash.” He said, stating the obvious. “Will this be a problem for you?”

I still wasn’t sure what to say. It seemed crazy to me that I was just thinking about Clare a couple nights ago yet I had seen her at a crime scene and not recognized her.

“Are you okay Ash?” the Captain asked, obviously concerned by my silence.

“I think so,” I said. I could hear my voice was shaky. “When was she released?”

The Captain looked down at a file and said, “A year ago. The ME noted she obviously had some plastic surgery probably right after she got out.”

I shook my head and replied, “I guess that explains why I didn’t recognize her.”

“Ashley, in all seriousness, is this going to be a problem?” he asked.

I paused for a few moments like I was seriously considering this question even though I knew my answer immediately after he asked, the first and second time. “No Captain, I see no problem.”

“Good,” the Captain said. “Now please don’t be offended, or pissed off by what I have to say next.”

“I’m not gonna like this, am I?” I tentatively asked.

“Okay here’s the deal, on paper Hayley is going to be lead detective on the Daniels case, probably all the family murder cases. I’m listing Jameson as her partner and on paper you are now partnered with Jones. Any official things for this case can not have your name anywhere near it, no exceptions.” He said very officially then added, “I am smart enough to know I can’t keep you away from these cases but we can’t let higher ups know you’re still on it.”

I just shrugged, “I don’t think this is all necessary but whatever Capt. You didn’t have an issue earlier so I don’t get why you do now?”

“Don’t insult me Ash. Your personal involvement in the Daniels case was already questionable before one of your ex’s was identified as the mystery woman murdered in the Daniels bedroom.”

Even though I tried, I couldn’t hide the surprise on my face. I thought I had been so good at keeping Clare and I’s involvement a secret. Guess I’m not as good as I thought.

“Yeah, I remember who Clare Lennox was Ash. I may be jumping the gun but I don’t want that fact to bite us in the ass when we finally catch this guy.”

I nodded half heartedly, “I understand Capt. Is there anything else?” Honestly I was just telling him what he wanted to hear. This official, unofficial kicking me off the case thing was completely unnecessary. But when I looked the Captain in the eye he did not seem amused by my response.

“Look Davies, by all rights you should have been off the case when the Daniels family was identified but I let you stay on. Now if you don’t play by my rules here we could both get fired, or worse demoted to patrol. You may not mind but I’m too old to be back on the street.” the Captain said, his anger growing and face reddening with each syllable.

“Okay, I get it Captain. Your rules!” I conceded.

“Thank you, now you’ll need to fill Ms. Carlin in on all of this as soon as possible.” he added.

“You mean tell her I’m officially not involved yet I’m still working this case?” I had to ask because I wasn’t sure how much he wanted me to disclose.

“That and your prior relationship with Clare. She’s gotta know everything, lawyers don’t like surprises.” he explained.

“Yes, but some lawyers like ethics. That could cause a problem with the arrangement you’ve decided.” I pointed out.

He considered what I said for a few moments then added, “True, she may want to handle this situation differently than I’ve decided to, be ready for that Ash. We can come up with whatever arrangement we like but in the end we will have to play the her rules. When we catch the bastard she’ll be the one who has to get him convicted.”

“Yes Captain.” I said as I got up and let his office. Boy, this day was just starting off on a great note.


	34. Chapter 34

The killer sat in her trophy room relaxing. She was off of work for a week so she had plenty of time to observe her next group of potentials and chose her next masterpiece. First she had to group her potentials, she had ten previously discarded families plus another eight new potentials.

She placed the eighteen pictures in front of her on the table and began looking over the families. Although the concept sounded easy enough, the killer put a lot of thought into which families were grouped together. In her groups of three she liked variety, it was the spice of life of course. She enjoyed picking very different families because it made her observations more entertaining and sometimes more challenging.

She spent all day mixing and matching families. It was like she was a woman going through her closet to find the perfect ensemble for a big occasion, like a job interview or a first date. Her trios had to be perfect because she didn’t want to do this again for a while. Since she had been creating masterpieces at a more rapid rate she didn’t want to waste time coming up with three possible families every time.

“Finally complete!” The killer exclaimed happily. After twelve tireless hours she was finally pleased with her trios. She had even chosen her first group of potentials. “It won’t be long before I’ve added another masterpiece Detective Davies. I do love watching you squirm!” She said with a laugh. The killer was truly pleased that the Milwaukee homicide department, especially Ashley, had no clue who was responsible for these murders.

 

I walked back to my desk in a haze. I’d been just hit by a double whammy; I was now a background member of the team on these cases and an ex of mine was dead. I really couldn’t tell which hit me harder.

In all my years with the police department I had never been removed from a case I was investigating. Granted the Captain hadn’t completely removed me from the case but he had moved me from the drivers seat to the bitch spot in back essentially.

On the other hand, Clare was dead. More importantly I had seen her dead body and I had not recognized her. It floored me that I hadn’t recognized a woman I saw almost daily for months. I suppose it made sense that she changed her appearance, the media coverage on her case had been insane. If she had wanted any sort of life after being released, she would have had to move or change her appearance drastically.

I had almost made it to my desk when the Captain bellowed from his office door, “Davies, Williams my office now.”

I quickly looked over at Hayley and she looked as confused as I felt. A quick glace around the squad room revealed a number of confused faces as well. Everyone, including my partner, seemed to be looking to me for answers. I simply shrugged and turned back towards the Captains office because I had no idea what was going on.

Hayley rushed up behind me and whispered, “What the hell is going on?”

I shook my head and replied, “I have no clue.” I waved Hayley into his office then closed the door behind myself.

“No need to sit down.” the Captain quickly said in a very grumpy tone. “I just got a call from the Greenfield police. Looks like our killer struck again.”

“Shit!” Hayley and I said in unison.

The Captain handed me a piece of paper with an address on it. “Davies, that conversation we just had, let’s say it happened about ten minutes after you get back from this scene.”

“Understood.” I replied then opened the door again. “Let’s go partner.”

“Oh and ladies,” the Captain said quickly causing us both to turn back towards him. “We were called in because of the similarities nothing more, so please don’t completely take over at the crime scene. This is technically still Greenfield’s case. The only people who can change that fact are the FBI or maybe political big wigs, not us!”

“Got it Capt.” Hayley said as we walked out the door.

 

I had barely gotten the car started when Hayley jumped in with the questions. “What the hell was the Captain talking about? The whole cryptic double talk about you conversation’s timing thing?”

I smiled and said, “Congrats partner, after this crime scene you are lead detective on these cases.” I paused for a moment then added, “Well the Daniels case for sure, but probably the Olsen case too. And if we start a task force with New Berlin, Muskego and now maybe Greenfield. It will be all you.”

“What?” Hayley squeaked.

“Oh and on paper Jameson’s your new partner too.” I added. “Just for these cases that is.”

“What the fuck is going on Ashley?” Hayley nearly yelled at me.

I took a deep breath then explained, “The unidentified woman in the Daniels house ahs been identified. It was Clare.”

“Clare?” Hayley repeated seeming confused. I gave her a moment to think then saw it hit her, her facial expression changing to disbelief, “Your ex Clare? Crazy killer Clare?”

“Yes! One in the same.” I replied choosing not to comment on the crazy killer comment. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that one just yet. It was a fairly accurate comment but it seemed a bit harsh all the same.

“Damn!” Hayley replied shaking her head.

“I know it’s strange. We both saw her and had no clue it was her. That is hard for me to wrap my head around.” I admitted.

“Well there is that too.” Hayley replied.

That response threw me off a little. “Wait, what were you thinking?”

Hayley suddenly turned her head and found the scenery passing by on the passenger side more interesting than our conversation.

“Hayley.” I said firmly, trying not to get annoyed. “What were you thinking?”

“You’re not gonna like this Ash.” Hayley quietly warned.

“Who gives a shit what I’ll think just tell me.” I replied with more anger than I had intended.

“Fine but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Hayley stated firmly.

I know she was waiting for another outburst or any reaction but I held it in. I took a couple deep breaths then calmly said, “Let’s hear it.”

“Okay,” Hayley sighed then began to explain. “So we’ve got a serial killer who seems to have fixated on you, right? Well at least at the Daniels scene anyways, more than the other scenes. They kill families and stage them to look like a stereotypical perfect family. It’s not a stretch to think that Clare evolved a bit while she was locked up in the mental hospital.”

“Wait, Clare was one of your suspects?” I asked in disbelief.

“Honestly, yes. She was a convicted murderer who has killed children before and was released to freely roam the streets. She wouldn’t be the first to convince people she was better then go back to their old habits. I had to look into it.” She finished, sounding almost apologetic.

I thought about what she said for a moment then asked, “You knew she was out and you didn’t tell me?”

Hayley shrugged, “I figured you already knew and you didn’t want to talk about the subject. I’m sorry Ash, I should have brought it up.”

I knew she meant this too. Hayley would never do anything to hurt me, we had been through too much together for me to doubt her. Investigating someone I had cared about, then keeping it from me had to have been hard for her so I said, “It’s okay Hales.”

“Are you sure?” Hayley asked quietly.

“Yeah.” I replied with a nod and a smile. “I hate to admit it but honestly you were right to check into Clare, you were thinking like the good detective you are. I should have thought of it.”

“Well that’s what you have me around for Ash. I look into your crazy ex’s to make sure they ‘re not serial killers.” Hayley joked.

I laughed then said, “What, was Carmen on the suspect list too?”

Hayley instantly stopped laughing, “No, do you think I should look into what she’s up to?”

I too got serious, “Well partner if anything at this crime scene is linked to me you might have to check into more people in my sorted past.”

“Well my first suspect would be Aiden, he has always seemed a bit shifty to me.” Hayley joked trying to lighten the mood.

I rolled my eyes then replied, “I know you don’t like him all the time but he’s Sebastian’s father so give him a break.”

“Being your baby’s daddy doesn’t give him a free pass.” Hayley laughed. “You’re choice of partners in the past is questionable at best.”

“You are ridiculous.” I said shaking my head. I turned left and saw the numerous police cruisers, news vans and onlookers.

“Looks like we found the place.” Hayley commented.

“Yep, time to play serious detectives. Hopefully something here will give us a clue tot who this son of a bitch is.” I said and got out of the car.

 

The killer had come by the scene on a whim and stayed watching the scene in delight. She thought, “I love the mayhem I can create so easily. And I see they called in my two favorite detectives. I wonder what Aiden and Sebastian are doing while mommy’s out trying unsuccessfully to catch me. I think I’ll go see.” With that the killer ducked through a few backyards to get back to her car parked three blocks away.


	35. Chapter 35

Hayley and I made our way through the combination of press, neighbors and general onlookers who had congregated on the blocked off street leading to the house. We eventually managed to navigate our way to one of the many uniforms on crowd control, it only took us ten minutes to walk about half a block.

I pulled my badge out to show the young officer and quietly said, “I’m Detective Davies and this is Detective Williams. We’re from MPD homicide. We were called in my Detective Hunter.”

The officer smiled and replied, “We’ve been expecting you detectives. Hunter’s inside the house I think, but I’ll radio ahead and let her know you’re here. I’ll tell her to meet you at the door, it’ll be easier that way.” He finished, moving the barrier slightly so we could enter the scene and pointed to a house a short way down the street.

Once we were out of ear shot Hayley quietly joked, “Gee I don’t know how we would have ever found the house without him pointing. I can barely tell the difference between the dark houses and the one with the cops filing in and out.”

I let out a small laugh then without warning smacked her shoulder, “Don’t be such a smart ass. The kid was just doing his job. I imagine this is the biggest case around here in awhile, possibly ever.”

“Gees, I was only kidding Ash. Why do you always have to smack me so hard?” Hayley whined. I might have taken her seriously except she couldn’t stop laughing.

I couldn’t help but laugh too then said, “Because you deserve it and don’t lie, you like it.”

“No comment!” She said with a grin. We walked in silence for a few moments towards the house. Hayley broke the silence once we reached the end of the drive way, “I’ll go check in with Hunter while you do your thing out here.”

I smiled, Hayley knew me too well. As she walked up to the front door I took in the entire scene. From the outside the house looked like your typical two story family house. There was a two car garage with the doors closed and a Range Rover in the drive way. Maybe the family was planning to go out before they net their untimely end, we may never know. If it weren’t for the cops and the crime scene tape, this would be just a typical house in the suburbs. But it was now a house of horrors.

I began to walk around the house trying to take in every detail. It was an extremely mild winter so there was no snow around the yard to aid us in tracking movement. Though if this was the same killer there wouldn’t be any signs of their presence in the yard, our killer seemed to like the front door approach. As I walked around the exterior of the house I still looked for any signs that someone had approached or tried to get in through the windows or patio door just in case. I didn’t expect to find anything useful, but even the most meticulous killers can make a mistake and leave a clue. As I finished my walk around the house I knew there were no answers out here, hopefully I’d have better luck inside.

As I made my way back to the front of the house I noticed Hayley was still at the door, now joined by another woman.

“We thought we’d wait for you to do your parameter walk before we went into the house.” Hayley called out.

As I walked up to the door the other woman held out her hand and said, “Hi, I’m Emma Hunter. I’m lead detective on this case, well for now anyways.”

“Ashley Davies, nice to meet you. Wish it were under better circumstances of course.” I replied with a smile. “I’ve actually heard very good things about you Detective. My friend Joey Morgan speaks very highly of you.” Oddly enough, through Kyla, I knew the lead medical examiner in Greenfield.

Emma smiled then said, “Well Joey does lie sometimes. But I’m glad up guys are here. Joey is too, actually, he’s inside. Shall we go in?”

“May as well, seeing as that’s why we’re here.” I tried to joke. I hoped it came off as a joke because I was very nervous to see this scene. I was praying that this scene was a freak similarity and not other notch in the family killers belt.

 

The killer decided to park a few blocks down and over from Ashley’s house. She figured a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood would tell her how closely the house was being watched, if at all. After she walked the final block directly in front of the house she realized there was no more surveillance team. She quickly made her way down the alley behind the house, ducked into the neighbors yard and slipped into the bushes to her favorite observation spot where she had a clear view of Ashley’s yard as well as in a few windows on the lower level of the house.

Aiden and Sebastian were outside playing with that little black dog of theirs. She couldn’t remember what the animals name was until Sebastian called for the dog. “Zebbie, that’s right.” the killer thought. “Odd name, but whatever floats your boat I guess.”

The killer spent the next couple of hours watching father and son play. She enjoyed watching their interaction, she could tell Aiden really enjoyed spending time with his son which was refreshing given all the horrible parents in the world. Towards the end of her time there for the day she began to fantasize about her impending encounter with this family. Though Ashley and Aiden were good parents , unlike most of her other potentials, this situation was personal. “How will my ex feel when I have their family cornered?” the killer thought. She had already decided how the scene would play out but would her ex be surprised at what they had created? At what they had made her become after breaking her heart? She couldn’t wait to find out.

She had to control herself though. She had three families to observe and another masterpiece to create soon. It wasn’t time yet for her ultimate masterpiece. Aiden, Ashley and Sebastian would be her grand finale, but she wasn’t ready to end this journey just yet.

 

After Hayley and I officially checked in with the officer at the door I turned to Emma and asked, “Detective, who discovered the bodies?”

“Next door neighbor, Mrs. Williams.” Emma responded quickly looking at the small notebook she was carrying, though I suspected she didn’t have to consult her notes for answers.

“And has your team determined TOD yet?” Hayley chimed in.

“Their best guess was around six or seven last night.” Emma replied.

“So what brought their neighbor around this morning?” I asked.

“I’ll explain further once you see the crime scene. If you think it’s the same guy, which according to Joey you will, I’ll share everything I know.” Hunter said.

“Sounds fair. Why does Joey think this is the same guy?” I asked wondering why she was putting this on Joey.

“I’m not sure actually. When I got here he told me to call you guys immediately. Unfortunately I hadn’t yet gotten back to him to fid out what he knows. I was called into the scene late.” Emma admitted a bit reluctantly.

I just smiled at her encouragingly and said, “Don’t worry about it, I’m sure he’ll fill us in when we get to that point. Why don’t you take us through the scene.”

We began walking down the hallway. I was looking side to side getting a feel for the layout of the house. A stairway on one side, a living room across, a bathroom, a couple closets all showing no sign that anything out of the ordinary happened in this home.

At the end of the hall Emma paused. She looked back at us and said, “The primary scene is through here.” pointing to what appeared to be a sun room of sorts.

I have noticed this from the outside but it looked like a row of tinted windows, from the outside all I could see was my reflection. Now from the inside I could see the backyard through the windows and a lot of blood inside the room.

A tall thin man approached us and it only took me a moment to recognize him. “John, how are you doing?” Kyla and I weren’t the only sibling duo in law enforcement around here. John Morgan, a forensic analyst specializing in blood evidence, was the older brother of Joey, the ME.

“As good as I can be Ash. This scene is sick and twisted, almost too much for me even.” he replied.

I smiled sadly and was about to speak when Emma chimed in, “What can you tell us John?”

Although it usually pissed me off when someone butted in like that, this time it made me respect Detective Hunter more. I had to remember this wasn’t my case it was hers. “Well played Detective Hunter!” I thought.

“Well from what I can gather so far,” John began. “The woman was sitting in this chair when she was shot.” He said pointing to the obviously bloody chair against the wall. He walked a few steps further into the room and said, “The adult make’s throat was slashed here with the killer standing here.” He said moving into a position facing us. “Then over there,” pointing to a corner of the room. “The boy’s throat was slit.”

“Thank you John.” Emma said then turned to us. “Do you guys have any questions for him?”

“I have a few but I’d like to see the secondary scene first if that’s okay?” I asked looking between John and Emma.

“Well I’ve still got at least two hours worth of work ahead of me here.” John replied, already sounding tired. “Just come find me when you’re ready Ash.”

“Thank you.” I said with a weak smile.

“Alright, our secondary crime scene is through here. It seems to be, for lack of a better term, a man cave for the husband I’d assume.” Emma said as she lead us through the door.

Before looking at the bodies I surveyed the room. The furniture was all brown leather, there was a huge flat screen TV on one wall with a cabinet containing video game systems and other electronic equipment. Emma’s description of a man cave seemed fairly accurate.

Hayley bumped my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts, “This is weirder than usual.”

I looked where she was pointing and had to agree. On the wall was a poster sized family portrait which looked to be recent. Seated in front of it were the same three people posed in the exact same way. Only in person they were dead.

“I um, this.” I was at a loss for words I had never seen anything like this, not even on TV. And I was a crime show junkie, reality or fiction it didn’t matter I watched them all.

Emma nodded and said, “That’s almost exactly what I said when I walked in here the first time. Though I think I started with holy shit.”

“That was on the tip of my tongue.” I replied with a shrug.

“So how do we even begin to figure out if this is the same guy?” Hayley asked me.

Again I just shrugged, I had no idea where to begin.

“I have an idea,” Joey chimed in. I hadn’t even seen him when we walked in. “Flip through the memory card on the camera.”

“Camera?” I looked around then noticed the tripod in the middle of the room. I looked at Emma and she shrugged. She handed me a pair of gloves and nodded towards the camera.

I was definitely confused but instead of asking questions I just played along. After I had my gloves on I turned on the camera and put it in view mode. After a two second glace at the first picture I knew this was our guy.

Hayley came up behind me and groaned, “Oh man, that’s the Olsen’s.”

As I flipped through the images there were six pictures of the Olsen family, six pictures of the Garcia family, six pictures of the Daniels family, six pictures of Clare and six pictures of the current victims. The pictures seemed to be taken at different points of the killers process but all after the victims were dead. Of course the irony of the number of pictures wasn’t lost on me, six pictures per murder and my son was six years old. Some might just consider this a strange coincidence but I don’t believe at coincidences at crime scenes. But fir the moment I chose to ignore that fact.

“Well it’s possible the killer may have a shadow who took these pictures but I doubt it. More than likely this is the same guy.” I admitted looking over at Emma.

Um, Ash, what number is the last picture you looked at?” Joey asked tentatively.

I looked back at the camera and replied, “Thirty six, why?”

Joey gave me a strange look I couldn’t read then said, “Keep going. Just be warned the next twelve picture will upset you.”

I looked at picture thirty seven and it took everything I had not to throw the camera across the room. I knew I couldn’t disturb evidence but I was pissed. Instead I screamed, “I’m gonna kill this son of a bitch!”

Pictures thirty seven through forty two were mostly of Sebastian and I with Aiden in a couple as well. All the pictures were from my house or my yard.

Pictures forty three through forty eight were words reading:

 

ASHLEY

DO YOU STILL DOUBT YOU’RE ON MY LIST.

WHILE YOU STAND THERE BALLING YOUR FISTS.

YOU MAY BE GOOD BUT I AM GREAT!

OUR EVENTUAL SHOWDOWN WILL BE OUR FATE.

BUT TIL THEN HOLD YOUR FAMILY TIGHT!

BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHICH IS YOUR LAST NIGHT!!


	36. Chapter 36

I stood in the middle of the room completely still. I knew all eyes were on me but I didn’t care. I was so pissed off and so scared that I could not move.

At some point, could have been ten minutes or ten seconds, Hayley put her arm around my shoulder and guided me towards the door.

Before we exited the door she turned back and said, “If it’s okay with you Detective Hunter, I’d like a copy of everything you have sent to our station.”

“No problem.” Emma replied.

“And Joey could you get in contact with Kyla and compare notes?” Hayley added.

“Not a problem Hayley. I’ll call her first thing tomorrow morning. We should have some initial tests run by then.”

“Thank you both. And Hunter if you want to see what we have from the other scenes you are more than welcome, just let me know where and I‘ll send the info.” Hayley added.

“Thank you, but if it‘s okay I‘d like to stop by and talk to you guys about the cases if you don‘t mind.” When Hayley nodded Emma continued, “I’ll probably be by in a day or two.”

As we passed through the primary crime scene Hayley looked at John and he immediately said, “Full report will be on your desk tomorrow. Also feel free to call after you look it over if you have further questions.”

“Thanks John.” Hayley replied then lead me out of the house.

The cool night air jolted me out of the shock. I immediately grabbed my phone.

“Hi Mommy.” Sebastian greeted happily.

“Hi sweetheart.” I replied unable to stop the flood of tears suddenly streaming down my face though I was able to hold my voice steady. “Can I talk to your dad?”

“Sure.” He said then I heard him yell for Aiden.

“Hey what’s up?” Aiden asked when he got on the phone.

“Is everything okay at home?”

“Yeah of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” he asked. When I didn’t respond he said, “Ash, what’s wrong?”

I took a few deep breaths then answered. “I’m at another crime scene. Another family is dead.”

“Are you okay Ash?”

“No. The killer left a camera behind and among other pictures there were shots of me, you and Bash. And a threatening note.” I answered.

Aiden didn’t answer right away. I was about to speak again when he said, “Damn that was quick.”

“Huh?”

“A marked cop car just pulled up in front of the house and that other detective Hayley is always teasing you about is walking up to the house with some guy.” Aiden explained.

I had to smile. Aiden was horrible when it came to remembering people unless the person had a pretty face and a set of tits. I looked over at Hayley and saw her putting her phone back in it’s case. I smiled at her appreciatively knowing she was responsible for calling in the cavalry.

“Hey Ash, Kyla just walked in the door too so I’m gonna let you go.” Aiden said.

“Alright. I’ll be home as soon as I can Aiden, I promise.”

“Just be safe Ash, we’re in good hands until you get here. Come home when you can.” Aiden responded.

I turned back to Hayley and said, “You’ve been busy on your phone.”

“Yeah but let’s talk in the car on the way to your house.” Hayley said then began walking towards the car. She quickly added, “And hand over the keys partner cause there’s no way I’m letting you drive anywhere.”

Though I would normally fight Hayley on this, today I willingly gave up my keys. My mind was racing, I didn’t feel like I could concentrate on any one thing even something as simple as driving home.

The drive from the crime scene to my house was only about ten or fifteen minutes so Hayley wasted no time. As soon as the car was in motion she asked, “Are you okay Ash?”

I snickered and said, “That’s a stupid question to ask partner.”

Hayley nodded her head then said, “Agreed, but I had to ask.”

“Understood.” I said with a sigh. “Now I’ve gotta ask, how did you get people to my house so fast?”

Hayley smiled, “I’m just that good partner.”

I laughed then replied, “Seriously though. A patrol car, Kyla, Jameson and Jones? How did they get there so fast?”

“When I saw that first picture of you and Bash I sent out a mass text.” Hayley admitted.

“Good call.” I replied with a smile. “Now if we can figure out who the hell this psycho is, I might feel comfortable leaving my house again.”

“Huh?” Hayley responded out of confusion.

I sighed and explained my comment. “This is the second scene that has had some sort of link to me and my family. At this point I don’t feel like I should leave my house until this fucker is caught.”

“You can’t be serious Ash?” Hayley said in disbelief then added, “You can’t catch this guy if you’re hiding out at your house.”

“Well I can’t protect my family if I’m not at home, near them!” I said hoping this would end the conversation. Logically I knew Hayley was right, I couldn’t hid out but right now it’s all I wanted to do.

 

Hayley watched as Ashley ran into her house after they arrived. Before she joined everyone inside she had one more phone call she had to make.

 

The rest of the day and night went by fairly uneventfully. I spent most of the time with Bash upstairs while everyone else; that being Aiden, Hayley and Kyla talked downstairs.

“The Captain called me earlier and said there will be at least one car outside round the clock, again.” Hayley stated.

Kyla rolled her eyes, “Because that worked so well before.”

“Relax Ky, I asked Ash to get rid of them before.” Aiden admitted.

“Are you kidding me?” Kyla said in shock. “Why on earth would you suggest something so stupid?”

Aiden shrugged, “I don’t know. The surveillance out front kinda creeped me out”

Hayley rolled her eyes at Aiden’s weak response. “And having a psycho murderer watching your family doesn’t creep you out at all?”

“I know it was stupid.” Aiden replied slouching his shoulders and sounding defeated. “I just thought between Ashley and I we could keep us and Bash safe without raising too many questions from Bash.

Kyla immediately recognized what Aiden was thinking but not saying. He was thinking like a typical father. “Aiden under normal circumstances I have no doubt you can protect Bash but this situation is not normal. There is a crazy fucker out there with an ego the size of California who has shown interest in you, Ash and Bash. You are a wonderful dad Aiden, but that’s not enough right now.”

Aiden nodded and looked at Kyla, “Thank you for understanding where my stupidity was coming from.”

Kyla just shrugged, “I’m a mom, I get it.”

“There is a little more to it though.” Aiden added.

“Okay.” Kyla replied obviously confused.

“Ash and I have another court date coming up.” Aiden reminded them. “I’m afraid all this might change the judges mind about our current arrangement.”

Hayley and Kyla both looked at each other, hesitant to ask what they both were thinking. Hayley finally spoke up, “Do you want things to change Aiden?”

“Well I’d like to not have a crazy killer watching us but other than that no. I like living here and it makes Bash happy which is the most important part.”

“Well for what it’s worth it makes Ashley happy too.” Kyla said reassuringly then added, “And even though they think they’re too cool to admit it my boys are happy you and Bash live here. And of course me and Jackson love having you two close as well.”

Aiden smiled, “Thank you Kyla, that really means a lot.”

“You know as long as you take every precaution you can, like allowing cops to be posted outside, there’s not much the judge can do. I mean it’s not like this happens on every case Ashley and I work.” Hayley offered.

“True, thank god.” Aiden replied.

They all laughed a little which seemed to ease the anxiety in the room.

Hayley was about to say something when her phone rang. She looked at the caller id and said, “Excuse me, I’ve gotta take this.” Then she went into the kitchen for some privacy.

 

“Hey, thanks for getting back to me so quickly.” Hayley said as a greeting.

“No problem, what can I do?”

“Tomorrow there should be files from Greenfield’s team on mine or Ashley’s desk, can you bring them over here to Ashley’s house?”

“No problem. Anything else you need me to bring?”

“A suspect would be nice.” Hayley joked. “But seriously just those files and anything else you’ve dug up on these cases. Oh and maybe some beer, it could be a long night.”

“How’s Ashley holding up?”

“Too soon to really tell. She took Bash up to her apartment when we got here and haven’t seen her since.”

“Maybe some alone time with her son will do her some good.”

“Hopefully.” Hayley replied, “Well, we’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Absolutely.”


	37. Chapter 37

After spending most of the day playing and relaxing with Bash and Cain I was feeling a bit more like my clam collected self. I was actually able to sleep for a couple of hours which was more than I thought I would. When I gave up on trying to get any more sleep my son was still very much in dream land so I quietly looked out the window to make sure the cop car was still there then went into the kitchen to feed Cain and make coffee, that was at least two hours ago.

While waiting for my son to wake up I checked my email then looked out the window again to make sure the cop car was still there. Then I decided to look over my notes and add a few from yesterdays crime scene, then I looked out the window to check on the surveillance team again. Then I decided to take my mind off the case a little and read more of the Jeff Lindsay book I had started a few days ago. After about a half an hour of that I looked out the window again. I’ll admit I wasn’t completely back to my normal self, a bit more paranoid than usual but who the hell could blame me.

If Aiden thinks he can convince me to get rid of the twenty four hour surveillance again, he’s an idiot. Why would he suggest taking away something that was meant to protect us? Or am I the idiot for thinking this will be enough? Just a few weeks ago I let Aiden talk me into calling off the surveillance after just twelve hours. Maybe if I hadn’t things would be different, though I can’t be sure when those pictures were taken. The date stamp on every picture was the same, I figured the killer transferred all the pictures onto a memory card while staging the scene because of the order of the pictures. This killer has had it our for me and I have no idea what I can do to stop them, besides catch them of course.

Even though I wasn’t entirely sure if the surveillance would do any good, it was the best option I had. I suppose I could hide Aiden and Bash away somewhere. Even if I could afford to tuck them away would that even matter? This killer was smart, how do I know that the killer wouldn’t find them? If the killer couldn’t find them there’s the anger factor as well. If I piss off the killer then who will suffer, e or another innocent family. The saying don’t poke the bear exists for a reason. So for right now II had to hope the killer would be deterred from coming near my family for the time being.

All the doubt was the mother side of me, but the cop side of me had different feelings. Obviously this killer has decided, for whatever reason, that we will be on of the families they kill. So why not use us as bait for this killer? This idea scares the crap out of me but at the same time it may be the only way to draw this killer out of their hiding place. A plan began forming in my head when I heard the shuffle of little feet coming towards the living room.

“Morning mommy.” Sebastian said as he walked towards the couch with eyes half open.

“Good morning sweetheart. How did you sleep?” I asked with a smile.

He climbed up on the couch next to me and snuggled into my side. “Good.”

“So what do you want to do about breakfast little man?”

“Can we go downstairs and have breakfast with daddy?” he asked innocently.

“Of course we can. Why don’t you get your shoes and coat on. I’ll text him and warn him we’re coming down.” I replied and grabbed my phone.

Bash hurried back into his room to get ready. Not too long ago this request may have bothered me but not now. I knew the boys had their morning ritual and I respected that time.

 

When Bash and I walked into the kitchen downstairs two things surprised me immediately. First there was enough food for a small army. And secondly there was a small army present. Hayley, Jameson, Hones, two uniformed officers I didn’t know, my parents, Kyla and her family were all seated or standing in the kitchen.

“Wow!” Sebastian squealed. “Hi everybody.”

As Bash went around personally greeting everyone, collecting hugs and kisses, I walked over to Aiden and quietly asked, “What’s going on?"

“Safety in numbers right?” Aiden joked in a hushed voice.

I glared at him and said, “Really, that’s what you’re going with? Now how about try telling me what’s really going on?”

“I thought a big family breakfast would be nice. Your parents, Kyla and her family were concerned.” He replied with a shrug. “Then I figured why not feed the guys who are trying to keep us safe. The only moochers are Jameson and that guy. I don’t know why they’re here but we have plenty of food so no big deal.”

“That’s really nice of you Aiden.” I replied. “I’m guessing by the sheer volume and variety of food, you didn’t sleep much either.”

“Not really.”

 

The family breakfast turned out to be just what I needed. For two hours there was no talk of killers or death. Just a lot of laughing and goofy embarrassing stories.

As the well fed crowd dispersed I went over to Hayley. “Guess we should get to work, hey?”

Hayley had a goofy grin on her face and replied. “No work for us today. We’re playing hooky; you, me and Kyla.”

“You’re kidding right?” I said in disbelief. With another family dead there was no way we could take the day off.

“Captain’s orders.” Hayley said. “He wants us out of the office for the rest of the week, but we still get paid. Besides you did say you weren’t comfortable leaving the house with this psycho out there. Now you don’t have to.” she finished with a shrug.

“What the hell?” I said angrily. “We…”

Hayley cute me off, “We will have the Greenfield files here later this afternoon. We can work from your house for the next few days. We are still getting paid as I said so I think he expects us to work a bit.”

Kyla butted into our conversation, “I think your Captain knows you will be more affective Ash if you can keep an eye on Bash while you work.”

I had to admit, I was concerned about leaving Bash and Aiden even though there was a car stationed outside the house. I was thankful the Captain understood and cared enough to let me work from home no questions.

 

The killer wondered if Hayley and Ashley had gotten her present yet. She had driven past the house last night after her observations to find a patrol car posted outside, again. Obviously Ashley had seen the pictures she left on the camera at the Collins house.

As the killer sat in her trophy room she thought about the showdown she would soon have with Aiden, Ashley and sweet little Sebastian. They would be her final masterpiece. She was sure of this because she would be the final piece to make the picture complete.


	38. Chapter 38

After most everyone left for work or school Aiden, Hayley, Kyla, Bash and I decided to watch a movie. Now I know Bash should have gone to school but I just wasn’t ready to let him out of my sight just yet. We all congregated in the living room to watch Lilo and Stitch, my absolute favorite Disney movie. About half way through the movie there was a knock at the door which made all the adults jump.

“I’ll get it.” I quickly said jumping up from the couch. Hayley followed me to the door. Logically we both knew whoever it was couldn’t be a threat because the cop outside would have checked who this person was before they got half way to the door.

When I opened the door I was greeted by the smiling face of John Hotchner, the FBI profiler. “Detective Davies, Detective Williams, your Captain said I would find you here.”

“SSA Hotchner, to what do we owe the pleasure of a home visit?” I asked as nicely as I could muster. He was interrupting one of my favorite movies after all.

“Is there somewhere we could talk privately?” he asked then added, “I’ve got some new information you guys might find interesting.”

I thought for a moment and replied, “We can go upstairs, just wait a sec.”

He nodded and I shut the door in his face.

When I came back into the living room the movie had been paused and all eyes were on me. “Bash, you and your daddy can keep watching the movie. Hayley, Kyla and I have to talk to somebody about work stuff up in my apartment.”

“Who’s here mommy?” he asked innocently.

“A man from the FBI who’s working some cases with us.” I replied.

“Cool!” Bash said excitedly. “Can I meet him?”

“Maybe after we’re done little man. But right now we gotta talk with him.” I explained.

Bash just nodded and started the movie back up. I stood and smiled for a moment, I was so lucky to have such a good kid. I looked over at Aiden, who looked worried, and gave what I hoped was a reassuring nod before I headed for the door.

 

As we all settled in upstairs I said to John, “First off after we talk my son wants to meet you. He thinks the fact that you’re FBI is really cool.”

This made him smile, “No problem. I’ve heard you have a wonderful son. I’d be delighted to meet him as well.”

“I do have a good kid.” I said proudly with a smile. But that quickly faded. “So what is so urgent SSA Hotchner?”

“Please detective, it’s John.” He said with a smile. “I thought you’d want to know we’ve come up with some cases similar to the ones here.”

Hayley chimed in, “I thought you said you hadn’t found any cases with the same MO?”

“True, but upon further digging we have found six unsolved cases where a family was murdered and staged.” he explained.

“Why didn’t you find these earlier?” I asked.

“Well the cause of deaths were all across the board and the locations were in different parts of the country so they didn’t jump out at us. The first happened in 1996 in San Diego, CA. A family: mother, father and twelve year old son. Their cause of death was arsenic poisoning but they were found around the dining room table like they were about to eat dinner.”

“That sounds familiar.” I said thinking about the Olsen family.

“Exactly,” John said then continued. “The next one was in 2000. This family was in San Francisco: two mothers and a son. They were again poisoned and found sitting around a coffee table with Trivial Pursuit laid out in front of them.”

“Oh god, the Garcia family was posed with a game too.” Kyla replied.

“Let me guess,” I started sounding more sarcastic than I meant to. “You found a family poisoned and staged in their backyard next.”

“Actually their throats were slit but that is how they were staged.” John said. “That was in 2008 in Chicago. And before you jump in we found a family shot and found around the Christmas tree that same year, also in Chicago.”

“Even I gotta admit this is a little eerie. What else you got?” Hayley asked.

“Three more: two in Madison and one in Lake Geneva.” John stated. When none of us responded he continued, “All of these happened in 2009. In Lake Geneva a family was found strangled and staged in front of a portrait of themselves, in February. Then in July a family in Madison was shot and staged in their dining room around what looked like a science fair project, testing batteries longevity in flashlights. The final one was in September. Again in Madison a family was stabbed to death and positioned around a TV with video game controllers in their hands.”

I took in all the information he had thrown at us. Obviously there were similarities in the staging but not completely on the methods. “You think it might be the same killer, they’re just evolving in their methods?”

John nodded, “I think it’s quite possible.”

“So is there anything from these previous cases that could help us now?” I asked.

“Well the first family had a sixteen year old daughter that no one has been able to track down since.” John said.

“Meaning?” I asked, not sure where he was going with that statement.

“Either we haven’t found her body yet or she may be our killer.” He offered.

Kyla spoke up then, “Do you have any pictures of the missing daughter?”

John shook his head. “No pictures were found in the house. She hadn’t gone for her drivers license yet and no school pictures we could find. No pictures in any of the houses minus the one the victims were staged in front of anyways. Sound familiar?”

I thought while John and Kyla spoke. Hayley and I had thrown around the idea but I’m not sure either of us actually believed the killer could be a woman. After a few moments I asked, “What’s your best educated guess about our killer?”

John seemed to think for a moment, though I sensed he already had his answer. “The daughter was trained in kick boxing and martial arts. If she is still alive there’s a good chance she would be strong enough to overpower full grown adults and move around dead bodies.”

“You really think our killer is a woman?” Kyla chimed in.

“It’s a distinct possibility. In my experience woman are precise in their crimes. My guess given the victimology she can’t have kids of her own. Maybe something having to do with her father or brother and I’d guess that the mother knew about it but didn’t do anything.” John stated.

“Why would you say that?” Kyla asked.

“The way this unsub kills. Guns are an impersonal way to kill. But using a knife is very personal, hands on. This unsub is choosing to inflict the most personal pain on the women though she is taking the whole family out.” John explained then added, “I could go further into this theory but that is the simple version.”

“Great,” I said kind of sarcastically. “All we need to do is find a woman who has moved around a lot ad has family issues. That should be easy enough.”

Hayley spoke up tentatively, “Ash I hate to pint this out but Carmen moved around a lot before she settled here. And you told me she never liked to talk about her family.”

“So?” I said not wanting what Hayley was saying to be true, even though it was. I was really getting tired of my ex’s being involved in this investigation.

Kyla chimed in, “Didn’t you say she was working at a portrait studio? That big portrait you guys found in Greenfield had to come from somewhere.”

“So?” I said defensively. Carmen was fucked up but she wasn’t a killer, right?


	39. Chapter 39

I figured it was only fair of me to invite John to stay for lunch. I made burgers and fries for everyone. John entertained us throughout lunch with stories of his various cases. Thankfully he left out the gory, twisted elements of each case and played up the heroic details. Bash appeared to have a slight case of hero worship for the FBI agent.

I was relieved when John noticed Sebastian yawning and suddenly remembered some work he had to do at the office. After the excitement of breakfast and lunch I know my little man was tuckered out. He actually told us he needed a nap after John left. I was shocked because it usually takes close to bribery to get him down, he usually says he’s too old for naps.

“Hey Ash?” Aiden said as I came back into the kitchen from Sebastian’s room. “Do you mind if I go out for a bit?”

“Sure. No problem,” I said skeptically. “Hayley, Kyla and I can work down here.”

“Great.” He said with a smile. “I should only be a couple hours max.”

“Okay, have fun.” I said with a shrug.

“Yeah, you too.” He replied as he walked out the door.

All I could do was shake my head. Aiden had been acting weird lately but I guess given the circumstances I couldn’t blame him, right? Was I just being paranoid or was he up to something?

As I walked into the living room where Hayley and Kyla were relaxing, I must have had a strange look on my face because Hayley said, “Something wrong Ash?”

“I’m not sure.” I replied then paused for a few moments before I could continue. “Do you think Aiden has been acting weird lately?”

“Wouldn’t you know better than us sis? You see him more than we do.” Kyla replied.

I rolled my eyes then clarified, “Okay more specifically yesterday and today? I know he’s been kinda strange the last few weeks but the last couple of days I haven’t been quite myself so maybe I’m missing something.”

“Well I always think Aiden’s acting funny.” Kyla joked. “But then again my opinion of him hasn’t been the greatest normally, though it does vary slightly from day to day.”

“You’re so funny sis,” I replied sarcastically. I looked over at Hayley to get her opinion and noticed she looked deep in thought. “What’s your take partner?”

Hayley shrugged, “Honestly I’m not really sure what to think. He’s been kind of all over the map.”

Seeing as that answer told me absolutely nothing what so ever I said, “Meaning what exactly?”

“Well he’s been nervous, talkative, helpful, insecure and calm. I’ve seen almost every emotion and or personality trait come out of that man since we got here yesterday.” Hayley paused as if thinking for a moment then continued. “Normally he acts like a cocky bastard so I’m not sure what to make of this rollercoaster. Is it because of the situation? That would definitely be understandable. Or as you asked Ash, is he up to something?”

Kyla spoke up, “Am I the only one uncomfortable with how paranoid you two seem?”

“No, you’re not.” I quickly answered.

Hayley then added with a huge grin, “I’m fine with it. I’d rather be overly paranoid than completely unaware and have something bad happen.”

“Agreed I just feel weird wondering if Aiden could be a killer.” I said with a sigh then continued. “But until we figure out who this killer is, I will be paranoid as hell.”

We all sat quietly for several minutes seemingly lost in our own personal thoughts. I had no idea what Kyla and Hayley were thinking about but I was thinking about my past. Who would want to scare me this badly? Had I really pissed off someone this badly that they would terrorize me like this? I also had to consider who would willingly take on my temper? Because most people who know me realize I have a nearly non existent fuse with a temper that can be as volatile violent as a bomb, especially when it comes to caring for my son. I’m not necessarily proud of that but it is what it is and most people know better than to get on the wrong side of my temper.

Granted I had my share of enemies, all good cops do, but this felt more personal than the job. There had only been one out right threat but this wasn’t the first message the killer had sent me. It would be one thing if they were only coming after me but they involved my son. I wanted this fuckers head on a platter for threatening Sebastian! And so help me God if Aiden has anything to do with this I will make sure I am the only one who finds him, ever!

“I have a suggestion.” Hayley chimed in breaking the silence. “Let’s chill out while Sebastian’s napping and Aiden’s gone. I’ve got someone coming over around dinner time to discuss the cases and I feel like resting my brain till then. Who’s with me?”

A few hours of mindless channel surfing proved a relaxing break. We started off watching Law and Order SVU and switched to cartoons when Sebastian woke from an almost three hour nap. Around five Aiden, who true to his word was only gone for two hours getting back before Bash to his parents house. I sent the unmarked car with them and called for another team to watch the house.

“So what’s for dinner lady?” Hayley asked after the boys had left.

I sighed, “I don’t wanna cook. How about pizza from across the street?”

Kyla quickly answered, “Sounds good. You call it in, I’ll check on my boys and then I’ll pick it up.”

“Alright. Do you want me to order some food for them too?” I suggested.

Kyla smiled and said, “Good call sis. No need to cause them to go hungry or allow them to destroy my kitchen. Be back in about a half an hour.”

As I turned to get my phone I saw Hayley was already on hers. “Order for carry out.”

I said, “Order for…”

“Jackson and the boys, got it.” She quickly said to me and went back to ordering.

Since I had nothing else to do I decided to take Zebbie out and run up to feed Cain. The second the dog was out the door she was barking her head off. Instinctively I grabbed my gun, which even though I wasn’t working I had kept on me all day. As I looked down the barrel of my gun I saw who Zebbie was barking at.

“Don’t shoot. I come bearing gifts, well sort of.” Spencer said with a smile. “I have files from your desk and beer.”

I laughed and put my gun back in it’s holster. “Sorry, I’ve been a little jumpy today.”

“Understandable, though you could shoot her if you really want to shoot someone.” Spencer joked pointing behind her.

I hadn’t noticed Madison hiding behind Spencer. “A member of the press, don’t tempt me.” I said with a laugh.

“Hey, I’m here to help.” Madison yelled defensively over Zebbie’s barking. “Could you call off your attack dog please?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Madison looked terrified of my twenty pound dog. I would bet that her purse weighed more than Zebbie did but I decided to be nice and said, “Zebbie, go potty.”

My pup turned and looked at me then happily trotted off to her favorite spot in the yard.

“Can I go inside before that little demon comes back?” Madison asked sounding slightly frightened.

“Here take this stuff in with you.” Spencer said before I could answer.

“Yeah, the first door. Hayley’s in there.” I answered and couldn’t help but laugh as Madison flew by me.

“She hates dogs. Actually she’s not a big fan of animals in general.” Spencer said.

“And she has a kid?” I responded in disbelief.

Spencer laughed and nodded at the same time then said, “And he’s a little hellion just like my brother was when he was little. It’s quite entertaining to watch.”

“I bet. You can go in too if you want. I gotta go up and feed my cat before I bring the little demon back in.” I said then laughed. “Madison does realize that Zebbie will actually be coming in the house right?”

“Probably not but oh well.” Spencer smiled and said, “I love cats. Mind if I join you?”

“Sure, why not.” I replied with a smile.


	40. Chapter 40

I opened the door and Cain was sitting there to greet us. “Spencer meet Cain. I’m pretty sure she thinks she’s a dog, or a human. Being a cat hasn’t crossed her mind.”

The comment made Spencer laugh and I walked towards the kitchen. I was surprised when I picked up Cain’s dish and she wasn’t at my heels, when I turned around I saw why.

“She’s quite friendly.” Spencer said as Cain rubbed against her leg and meowed at her. “And talkative.”

I laughed and said, “Yeah. She was a stray who wandered into our yard. She charmed the boys and Hayley instantly.”

“Not you?” Spencer asked. She was now seated by the door with Cain purring on her lap.

“She didn’t have to charm me. I’ve always wanted a black cat with yellow eyes so I just had to see her and I was sold. The outgoing personality was just a bonus.” I pulled out the food which instantly got Cain’s attention and brought her to the kitchen.

Spencer followed and said, “You know you should be feeding her kitten food.”

“You really thin she’s that young? I mean she’s small but I figured she was at least a year old.” I replied.

Spencer laughed, “Have you taken her to a vet yet?”

I laughed, “No, I’ve been a little distracted you know. Psycho killer focused on my family has been a bit distracting.”

Spencer picked up Cain, gave her belly a gentle squeeze and said, “Well you’re family will be at least a couple beings bigger in a month or so.”

“Huh?” I asked, thoroughly confused.

Spencer laughed then grabbed my hand putting it where hers had been on Cain’s belly, “You’re cat is pregnant.”

“Holy shit.” I yelled when I felt something move inside my cat’s stomach. This was the last thing I needed right now.

 

“I can’t decide if I’m annoyed or amused.” The killer thought as she was watching one of her potential families playing catch at Alcott park. Unusual behavior for this normally dysfunctional family but they seemed to be there with a couple other families so they were obviously putting on a show.

She had been checking the camera she had focused on Ashley and Aiden’s house all day and Ashley hadn’t gone to work. It amused her to think that Ashley seemed to think staying home would change anything. Yet it annoyed her because Ashley wouldn’t receive the two envelopes she had sent if neither Ashley nor Hayley went into work.

 

“So, how’s it going Hayley?” Madison asked trying to make conversation. She was secretly hoping Spencer would come in any moment. For some reason she felt slightly uncomfortable around this woman.

“It’s going.” Hayley said as she gathered up plates, silverware, cups and napkins for dinner. She had no idea why Madison was standing in the kitchen, but she hoped Spencer had a good explanation for why she brought along her brothers girlfriend whoever she decided to come inside. Hayley had to admit though that the sight of Madison being scared of Zebbie was thoroughly amusing.

“Well you seem to know your way around this kitchen fairly well.” Madison commented, reaching for any topic of conversation to fill the awkward silence.

Hayley shrugged, “I’ve spent a lot of time in this house. Aiden didn’t really change much from how Ashley kept it when he moved in here.”

This comment sparked Madison’s interest. Spencer had developed a fast crush on Ashley so Madison decided to find out just what kind of competition her sister had. “So you and Ashley spend a lot of time together?”

“Well yeah, we’re partners.” Hayley replied simply.

“Obviously, but I meant outside of work.” Madison said with a smile then added, “In my experience a lot of people who work together don’t always associate with each other outside the job.”

“We have been partners for years, first as beat cops then as homicide detectives. I guess luckily we’ve been friends since before we were partners.” Hayley replied, wondering where Madison was going with this line of conversation.

“Interesting.” was all Madison could say. She still wondered just how close Hayley and Ashley were but wasn’t sure if she should ask. Normally she could care less about being careful with her words but she wanted Hayley to like her, Ashley too for that matter. But more importantly she wanted them to trust her so delving into their possible personal connection may not be the best move at the moment. Being a member of the press was a definite strike against her with these women and she wanted to be accepted so she didn’t need any more strikes for being too nosy or jumping to incorrect conclusions. Obviously she wanted the exclusive on this story but she actually felt confident that she could help track down this sick son of a bitch.

 

Spencer seemed to be stalling up in my apartment. I wasn’t sure why because obviously she had brought the files form the station to go over with everyone. My mind was completely on the case once I saw those files but it seemed like hers wasn’t.

“How are you doing Ashley?” Spencer asked tentatively.

I shrugged and said, “I’m okay I guess.”

“Are you sure?” Spencer asked skeptically. “I can’t even imagine what you have been going through.”

“I’m just focused on figuring this case out, you know?” I replied. “So far we don’t have shit and it’s pissing me off.”

Spencer nodded and said, “Makes sense. Is there anything I can do?”

I laughed slightly then said, “Well seeing as it’s the cops job to find this person and your job to put them in jail for the rest of their life, for now there’s not much you can do.”

“I know professionally what my responsibilities are but…” Spencer trailed off.

It was blatantly obvious that Spencer wanted to say more so I didn’t respond. I wasn’t really sure where this conversation was going but I figured Spencer would clear things up if she wanted.

Spencer sighed then continued, “I meant as a friend. I know we’ve only known each other for a short time but I feel like we could be good friends. Having said that, if you need anything you can call me. Even if it’s just someone to talk to at some random hour, I will listen. I don’t live too far away so I could come over if you just need someone to sit with or something.”

I couldn’t help but find this little ramble cute. I didn’t know what her motives were and honestly I didn’t care. Who in their right mind could resist the sympathy of a beautiful woman? Certainly not me! “Thank you Spencer. The offer means a lot.”

This changed Spencer’s expression from nervous half smile to a genuine happy smile. “”I do mean it Ashley. I know you must be going through hell right now and I will do whatever I can to help.”

I smiled back and said, “Well right now what will help is going through those files you brought and hopefully find something useful within them. Plus there is pizza and beer downstairs too.”

“Well then I guess we should get downstairs and get to work.” Spencer replied.

“Sounds like a plan.” I said with a nod. As we walked downstairs I forced myself to forget the kindness Spencer had shown. I couldn’t think about Spencer and effectively go through these files, I needed to be at least somewhat angry so I thought about something else.

When Spencer and I walked into the kitchen downstairs I saw that Kyla had returned with the pizza. Her, Hayley and Madison were sitting around the table waiting to dig in.

“What’s wrong Ash?” Kyla asked immediately.

“The fucking cat is knocked up.” I spat back.

Kyla and Hayley looked at each other then busted out laughing.

“Laugh it up now but you’re both taking a kitten when she pops.” I replied, intending it to be a threat.

Hayley just shrugged and said, “Okay.”

Kyla nodded and said, “We’ve gone far too long without a pet. It’s been a year and a half since we put Tux to sleep, the boys will be thrilled.”

I was skeptical of their answers though, “That was way too easy.”

Hayley was the first to speak up, “It’s not the end of the world Ash. I think we can all agree we have more important things to worry about right now.”

I sighed, “Valid point. Let’s eat then go over what Spencer brought us.”

 

An hour later our bellies were full and the reminisce of our dinner was gone. We were as ready as we would ever be to start working.

“Madison I think we need to set some boundaries before we start.” I said before anyone could open a single file.

Madison rolled her eyes, sighed and said, “Everything I see and hear tonight is completely off the record. I’m not allowed to even think of printing anything until I get the okay from Spencer. If I go against this I will find myself in a shit load of legal trouble so deep even my boyfriend won’t be able to find a way to help me. Does that about cover it?”

Kyla, Hayley and I all looked dumbly at each other, then Madison, then to Spencer for an explanation. Madison’s ramble rendered us speechless.

“Glen and I had a talk with her before we agreed to let her tag along tonight. I wanted to make sure our asses were covered as far as these cases are concerned before I allowed her access to any privileged information. And well, she listens to Glen more than she listens to me.” Spencer explained.

“Honestly even if I did take any of the information I learn tonight to my editor he’d probably give the story to someone else. First off he hates me and secondly I’m not a crime reporter” Madison stated defensively.

“Still, better to be safe than sorry.” Spencer replied.

I smiled and added, “I can’t imagine someone not liking you Madison.” This made everyone but Madison laugh. She just glared at me.

Quickly changing the subject before someone got hurt Kyla asked, “Weren’t you a suspect?” By the glare Madison now gave Kyla, she realized this topic wasn’t any better.

“Yes but I believe your sister and her partner,” for some reason Madison emphasized the word partner, “have eliminated me from their list.”

I nodded, “Yeah, her alibi holds up. So now that we have that out of the way let’s see what Spencer brought.”

“Alright, I haven’t looked at anything except the packaging yet but here.” She said as she put a stack of file folders on the table. “We’ve got three files from Greenfield.”

“That would be Emma, Joey and ME John’s reports I’m sure.” Hayley said.

I quickly said, “Oh we should get a hold of Emma and let her know we’re working from here.”

Hayley replied, “Already taken care of Ash. She’ s coming by tomorrow. What else you got there Spence?”

Spencer gave Hayley a weird look. I figured either she hated the shortened name or it was normally reserved for people close to her. Either way she recovered quickly and said, “I’ve got two envelopes personally addressed to Detective Ashley Davies.” She handed the envelopes to me as she finished.

I looked at the envelopes curiously. They were addressed to Homicide in care of me. They were standard large manila envelopes. Normally I would thin nothing of them and tear into them but given everything that has been going on I was apprehensive.

“Are you gonna open them?” Kyla asked.

I stared at them for a bit longer, flipping them over wondering what they could contain. I studied the post mark and realized one was dated a day earlier than the other one. My curiosity won out and I opened the earlier dated envelope first. I pulled out the contests: three pictures. I looked then laid them on the table, the first then the second but I couldn’t lay down the third. The third picture I could identify.

“Who are they?” Hayley asked pointing at the two pictures on the table.

“Dunno but this one should look familiar.” I said as I laid down the picture in my hand.

“Oh shit!” was Hayley’s response.


	41. Chapter 41

“I don’t get it?” Madison chimed in.

“Me neither.” Spencer added.

I looked up and saw the recognition on Kyla’s face, though she hadn’t been at the crime scene or to work. “Joey sent you photos from the scene sis?”

She nodded, “Yeah. I saw them earlier when I checked my email.”

I looked at Spencer and Madison, lifted the of the people we were talking about and said, “These are the latest victims.”

Hayley was already digging into the files and said, “They got a positive ID. The Collins family. As you’d expect they did own the house just as the other families.”

“So who are the other two pictures of?” Madison asked.

Spencer spoke before I could answer, “I think the more important question right now is what is in the other envelope?”

I nodded and with shaky hands I picked up the envelope. For the record my hands shaking pissed me off because I viewed this as a sign of weakness. I’ve prided myself on being a strong person so appearing weak drives me crazy but I couldn’t help it, I was nervous. I took a deep breath, opened the envelope, pulled out the contents and stared at three more pictures.

“What is it Ash?” Hayley asked.

I laid the pictures, each had two smiling adults and one smiling child.

“Who the hell are they?” Madison questioned immediately after I laid down the pictures.

I couldn’t come up with an answer right away, I just continued to stare at the pictures. I looked from face to face searching for some sort of answer to their identity, their significance. I assumed they were all single child families but that was where the similarities ended. Three different races, three different configurations: the only thing linking the families was the fact that they were in this envelope together.

Everyone’s anxious eyes were on me but I didn’t really care. I was taking my time coming up with a response because an idea was forming in my head of what we were looking at. Finally I said, “They are potential victims.”

“What?” All four said at once.

I think they were surprised I even spoke much less had a theory. I could be wrong but my gut told me I was onto something so I explained. “We know serial killers are meticulous in their planning. It’s part of what makes them so damn hard to track down.”

Hayley couldn’t resist injecting a comment, “Well unless you’re those guys on Criminal Minds. They always manage to track them down quickly.”

“Yeah but they have Garcia, that woman can track down everything they need to know to find their guy.” Madison added with a laugh.

I smiled but knew we had to get back on track. “Well if anyone see’s Garcia or anyone else from the show we’ll steal them but in the mean time let me explain my idea. I think this is how our killer chooses their victims. They pick three families, probably watches them for some amount of time then decided which one to kill.”

Hayley shook her head and said, “That’s fucked up, but you may be on to something. I mean why else would they send three pictures to you?”

“Exactly. I think the killer is challenging me.” I said to no one in particular, “But how do we find these people? These are obviously professionally taken pictures but there’s got to be hundreds of portrait studios in the greater Milwaukee area. We need a way to ID these people quickly because we have no clue how much time we have since our killers schedule has become a bit erratic.”

“I may be able to help.” Madison spoke up.

“How?” I asked trying not to sound annoyed. Granted I want all the help I can get with this case but for some reason Madison just irritated me in general.

“We’ve got photo recognition software at the paper. I can send these images to a friend and he’ll run them no questions asked.” Madison stated simply.

Hayley responded first, “You know we can do that at the police station too, right?”

I wasn’t sure if Hayley was directing the question to me or Madison. Honestly I didn’t know what kind of photo ID software we had or didn’t have. I didn’t deal much with the computer techs, I let them just do their thing and email me a report.

“No doubt but if I scan the front and back of these pictures he may be able to track down where the photos themselves were taken. He might recognize the paper or something.” Madison explained without a hint of attitude.

Everyone looked at me for a response. “When could your friend start working on this?”

Madison replied immediately, “As soon as I send him the pictures. Do you have a scanner?”

“You’re sure he’s still at work?” I questioned.

Madison wouldn’t meet my eyes as she responded, “Probably not. But can you just trust me that he’ll get us answers quickly with no questions asked and no red tape or hoops to get through?”

I thought for a moment. If this worked we could potentially save lives so why not trust her even though she annoyed the crap out of me. “Can we trust this friend of yours to be discrete and if need be forget any information he gains for us?”

“Absolutely.” Madison replied confidently.

I planned on sending the pictures to our lab with an officer tonight anyways so either way we’d probably get answers. “Alright. Aiden has a scanner in the office over there.”

 

Aiden sat back watching his new girlfriend and Bash play in his parents living room. It made him extremely happy that they got along. He just hoped when he eventually introduced her to Ashley things would go smoothly.

“Has Ashley met her yet?” Aiden’s mom asked as she handed him a cup of coffee.

Aiden shook his head and said, “She has so much on her plate right now with this case. I don’t think it’s the right time.”

His mom took a moment to watch her grandson giggling at something Aiden’s girlfriend did, “It would be good for Sebastian to have a stable female influence in his life. He need a good mother.”

Aiden took a few deep breaths to calm himself before answering, “He has an amazing mother already, I’m not looking to replace Ashley in his life.”

Aiden’s mom shook her head, “I can’t imagine her job allows her much to be an adequate mother.”

“Mom, I’m not gonna fight with you about this right now. Ashley is an amazing mother whom Bash idolizes so I suggest you refrain from bad mouthing Ashley around me and especially around Bash. Unless of course you would rather us not come around here anymore.” Aiden finished, the look in his eyes telling his mother he was dead serious.

Aiden’s father came into the living room and noticed two very different moods. Though he would have loved to join the happy side of the room he knew he needed to defuse the tension between mother and son. “So Aiden where did you meet this lovely woman? I think you mentioned it a couple weeks ago but I forgot.”

Aiden instantly smiled at his father, “At Aldi of all places. It was about a month ago but we originally met years ago at a kickboxing gym that summer I spent with uncle Craig out in California.”

“Amazing,” his father said. “It must be fate that your paths crossed again.”

Aiden laughed, “I know, what are the chances?”

 

A couple hours later we had gone through the new files, old information and the new information our FBI friend had given us. Unfortunately I felt no closer to any of the answers we needed.

“So do you honestly think these murders here and those John mentioned could be the same person?” Spencer asked.

“It’s a possibility we have to consider.” Hayley answered sadly.

Madison shook her head, “I don’t buy that it could be a woman. That’s just crazy right?”

“Not as crazy as you think.” I said then pulled up some notes I made on my computer. “I’ve been looking into female serial killers and women tend to have longer killing sprees than their male counterparts. They are more meticulous and are usually unlikely suspects.”

“I get that but don’t women tend to poison people?” Madison responded.

“Not necessarily,” Kyla chimed in. “Ever seen the TV show Snapped? There are some dangerous, crazy ass women out there.”

Spencer laughed and said, “Very true. I love that show though it scares the crap out of me sometimes.”

Hayley chimed in next, “Right! Finding a woman worth dating is hard enough then you see how crazy women can be, makes it seem like a losing battle.”

“It’s a good thing you don’t date then, right.” Kyla joked.

“Hey, one night stands can turn crazy too.” Hayley replied back in the same joking manner.

“Not all women are crazy. We have at least four mostly sane women right here. Though I’m not quite sure about Madison.” Kyla joked again.

We all laughed, even Madison. It felt good to joke around. With all the ugliness in this case we all needed a few lighthearted moments. Dispite the joking, in this moment I felt a strange confidence. We were going to break this case. I had no clue how but the five of us were going to get ahead of this killer.

Madison’s phone buzzed on the table and we all held our breath. She answered the call, listened and scribbled some notes then hung up. “”We’ve got names for all three families though he’s still working on where the pictures came from.”

“I’ll get units out to their neighborhoods tonight. Maybe we’ll get lucky and catch this fucker watching them.” I replied.

I felt hopeful. We didn’t have all the information but we were getting there. This killer had tripped up, decided to be ballsy and it’s gonna come back to bite them in the ass.


	42. Chapter 42

When the killer arrived home she was exhausted, it had been a long day. She had observed all three families wit Hough police intrusion so obviously Ashley was not doing any work today. She just hoped that her actions over the past few weeks would help put her final plan into action.

As she walked into her trophy room she actually got a little choked up. She had enjoyed creating her various masterpieces but she was prepared to give it all up. For so long she had enjoyed destroying families as dysfunctional as her own had been but she was ready. She would create the perfect family, all she had to do was eliminate the one person standing in her way.

 

After calling in a few favors to get some patrol cars out to the neighborhoods of the families I decided I should take Zebbie out again. Surprisingly Spencer decided to join me. “So I have an idea to run by you that you may not like Ashley.” Spencer said cautiously.

“Yeah, what’s that?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine her thoughts were any worse than what was going through my own head.

Spencer sighed then said, “We may have to use you and your family as bait for this psycho.”

“I know, I’ve already thought about that Spencer.” I admitted sadly.

“Are you okay with that?” Spencer asked tentatively.

“Not at all.” I said shaking my head. “The two sides of me are definitely warring on this one. The cop side of me says setting a trap could be the best way to catch this psycho.” I had to look away from her because I felt the emotion bubbling up.

“But?” Spencer encouraged me to continue.

I met her eyes and continued, “But the mother in me says it would be crazy to put my son in danger, he’s only six. Aiden and I can handle ourselves, but Bash…” I trailed off and sighed. “Honestly it’s fucking crazy to put Sebastian in the danger he’s in right now. I honestly don’t know what to do.”

Spencer actually surprised me. She walked up to me and enveloped me in a hug. I didn’t want to but all I could do was start crying. I hated crying in front of anyone but I couldn’t help it right now.

“It’s okay Ash.” Spencer said quietly. “You’re a wonderful mother. I won’t let anything happen to you and your son.”

I pulled back and looked her in the eye, “How can you say that? How do you know?”

“Honestly,” Spencer said weakly. “I don’t. But I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to you or your family.”

I took a few moments to really look at Spencer’s face before I replied, “For some reason I believe you counselor.”

 

After Spencer went back inside I ran up to my apartment to check on Cain before joining the rest of the girls downstairs. Honestly I needed those few minutes to compose myself. The thought of putting my family in danger had sent me over the edge emotionally but I needed to pull myself together. Emotion alone wasn’t going to solve this case, I needed to have my wits about me.

Ten minutes later I felt calm enough to head back downstairs. I took a deep breath outside Aiden’s door and as I reached for the door I heard something that threatened to throw my fragile calm out of whack again.

“Hi Mommy!” Sebastian yelled as he ran up to me with open arms.

“Hey little man.” I said happily and loudly. Thankfully I could hear the girls inside gathering up the papers in the kitchen. “How was dinner at grandma and grandpa’s?”

“It was yummy!” Bash said with a smile. “Grandma made fancy grilled cheese and loaded French fries and a fresh veggie mix thing.”

“Wow, sounds way better than the boring pizza I had.” I replied to my son. I peeked in the door and got a thumbs up from Hayley.

Sebastian laughed then said, “Yeah and I met daddy’s new friend too. She was nice.” He kissed my cheek, wiggled out of my arms and opened the door. I heard him go in the house and say, “Hi aunty Kyla, aunty Hayley and you two I don’t know. Hi, I’m Sebastian.”

I just stood outside looking at Aiden though he wouldn’t meet my eyes. “New friend, hey?”

He continued to look at the ground, “I was gonna tell you Ash.”

“Really Aiden, when? I thought we had an agreement?” I replied.

When Aiden and I had broken up we agreed, for Sebastian’s sake, if we met someone and were serious about them we’d introduce them to the other before Sebastian. I was pissed and since Aiden’s only response was a shrug I continued, “It’s not fair to our son for either of us to be parading women in and out of his life. You just had Cyndi over here on Christmas Eve and now you’ve got a different girlfriend?”

Aiden sighed, “I know Ash and I’m sorry. It’s just that I didn’t want to add more to your plate right now. You’ve got your hands full trying to catch this psycho family killer. I was gonna tell you after you caught the bastard. Unfortunately our son sucks at keeping secrets.”

I had to laugh, “Aiden he’s six, of course he can’t keep a secret. And honestly I hope he never does learn how to keep secrets from us.”

Aiden laughed too and nodded his head, “I agree 100%!”

We laughed together for a bit then I said, “Does she make you happy Aiden?”

He nodded, “Yeah she does. And she was really great with Sebastian too.”

“Good, I’m happy for you.” I stepped forward and gave him a hug. “After this work craziness dies down I’d love to meet her. For now let’s go in. The girls and I still have plans to iron out and I don’t want Bash distracting them too much.”

“Wait Ash, I have a question to ask first.” Aiden replied.

I shrugged, “Sure, what’s up?”

He looked a little nervous as he asked, “At some point are the three of us going to have to be bait for this psycho?”

I sighed, this seemed to be on everyone’s mind today. I was hoping to avoid this conversation but since he brought it up now was as good a time as any. I took one more deep breath before I spoke but Aiden spoke first.

“Because if it will end this nightmare I’m okay with it.” he said.

“What?” I replied in shock.

“I’ve thought about it a lot lately. I know you and I would both die before we’d let anything happen to our son. If that means a stand off with this crazy person then I’m in. I just wanted you to know that.” He said then walked into the house.

I stood there in shock for a few moments then followed him into the house. I immediately laughed when I saw Sebastian sitting on Spencer’s lap telling a story which all four women were intently listening to.

“Who’s the cute blond?” Aiden quietly asked.

He made me jump cause I didn’t see him at first, “Jesus you scared me.”

“Sorry, I was just curious. I know Madison cause my ex Cyndi worked on her floor but I’ve never seen the other one.” he replied.

“She’s our new ADA, Spencer Carlin.” I answered.

Aiden nodded, “She’s cute and seems to be instant friends with our son.”

“Didn’t you just tell me you have a new girlfriend?” I said sarcastically then added, “Besides, she’s gay.”

“I’m glad. You shouldn’t pass up getting to know her a little better.” Aiden said with a goofy smile.

“Oh shut up you.” I said smacking him and rolling my eyes. Then I turned my attention back to the table before saying, “You know our son definitely has a way with women.”

Aiden laughed, “Just like his mommy and daddy. We’re gonna have our hands full with him in the future.”

I smiled at Aiden then walked over to the table, “Alright little man, it’s bed time.”

Sebastian pouted, “But mommy I have guests to entertain.”

I laughed and said, “Another time buddy.”

Hayley stood up and said, “Come on Bash, I’ll tell you a bed time story.”

This made my son smile. He went around the room giving hugs and kisses to everyone before going with Hayley.

“We can go upstairs to continue if you guys want.” I suggested.

“Give me about ten minutes, I wanna go check on my boys.” Kyla said.

“Actually, I kinda want to get home to my little guy if that’s okay?” Madison said tentatively.

“That’s perfectly fine,” I replied. “We can meet up again whenever you guys have time, or we get something new.”

“Well we drove separately so I’ll stay if that’s okay with you Ashley?” Spencer said.

“I’ll be back in a few. You guys can figure this all out without me.” Kyla said walked out the door.

Madison followed promising to let us know if she heard anything further about where the pictures came from.

Aiden then chimed in, “If you two wanna head upstairs I’ll send Hayley up when she’s done.”

“Shall we?” Spencer said with all the files already in hand.

“Lead the way, the door is unlocked.” I said then looked back at Aiden who was grinning like a fool. I shot him a dirty look then followed Spencer. How could he think I would have anything but catching this fucker on my mind. The fact that I found Spencer incredibly attractive would have to wait.


	43. Chapter 43

Hayley, Kyla, Spencer and I worked for another two hours wit Hough much progress. We went over ever scrap of information we had on the cases we had plus what John had given us from the FBI database again but we weren’t coming any closer to an answer.

Hayley was obviously frustrated, “I don’t get it! How can someone be this fucking good every time? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Well we don’t often investigate serial killers. Dahmer’s the only other one in this city and that was before our time.” I replied.

“I say we drink ourselves silly cause going over this stuff is getting us nowhere.” Hayley suggested.

“You guys have at it. I definitely live further away than walking distance so I’ll refrain.” Spencer said.

I laughed, “Honestly between this house and Kyla’s across the alley there are plenty of beds to crash in if you need to.”

“Can I get everyone another round then?” Hayley asked and we all nodded.

 

We spent the next hour or so just joking around and drinking. I was almost able to forget there was a crazy psycho gunning for me and my family.

Our fun was interrupted by a text Spencer got from Madison. “Guys, Madison’s friend found out what portrait studio those pictures came from.”

“Holy shit, that’s huge.” Hayley said and grabbed my laptop. “What’s the place?”

“Visual Image Photography in Milwaukee. It’s on North Ave if that helps.” Spencer informed us.

Hayley busily typed away. After finding the companies web site she looked pissed.

“What’s wrong Hayley?” Kyla asked.

“This site has no employee information.” Hayley replied in frustration.

“I’ll call it in, maybe the computer geeks can find something.” I suggested.

Spencer also added, “I’ll see if Madison’s friend can dig up anything more too.”

“Why did it take so long?” Hayley asked Spencer.

“She said the pictures were processed in a private studio. Apparently there are only a hand full of studios who allow their photographers to expose pictures off site.” Spencer said as she typed away on her phone.

After I called in what we knew Spencer received another message. “I’m not even gonna ask how they found out this information.”

“What?” We all said intently.

“There are three employee’s whose names are attached to these family pictures.” She said as she pulled up the full email.

I looked over her shoulder as she opened the document from Madison’s friend. There were three pictures and three names, all women. I yelled, “Son of a bitch!”

Kyla and Hayley both jumped to their feet and saw what had made me so upset.

Spencer remained in the dark, “What’s wrong?”

I couldn’t speak so Kyla informed her, “That second one is Ashley’s ex, Carmen.”

Hayley chimed in, “Yeah she’s been on my suspect list for a while.”

Spencer looked slightly stunned by this bit of information but tried to keep the focus on work. “Well, umm, I guess in the morning you and Hayley should go interview these three women.”

“Not me,” I quickly responded. “Besides my personal link to Carmen, I’m technically off this case.”

“Right, so Hayley can go interview these women and report back tomorrow night?” Spencer said tentatively.

“I’ll take Jameson with me and I’ll have her interview Carmen.” Hayley responded then looked at Spencer. “Think we could get a search warrant so we can look around the portrait studio without a hassle?”

“I’ll see what I can do first thing in the morning.” Spencer replied.

“Sounds good to me.” I replied, then looked to Hayley and Kyla who nodded. “Good now that that’s settled lets talk sleeping arrangements. Obviously Kyla can walk home but you two are staying. Hayley you can sleep in Bash’s room, I’ll take the futon and Spencer you can take my room.”

“Ashley, I don’t want to put you out. I can sleep on the futon.” Spencer replied.

“No, it’s fine. I’ve spent many nights on this futon, it’s actually quite comfy.” I said with a smile. “So how about another round before bed?”

Hayley laughed and said, “At least one more round.”

“I’m out ladies, I have a husband waiting on me. Night.” Kyla said then left.

Hayley and I both looked to Spencer. She laughed and said, “Why not? I’m not going anywhere tonight."

 

The killer woke up early, anxious for her day to begin. With any luck Ashley would go into work and find her envelopes she had sent to the detective. Some may think she was tempting fate by sending pictures of her potential victims to the lead detective but she saw it as an added challenge.

As she made her way to one of the families homes she noticed an unfamiliar car in the driveway. It didn’t take long to figure out who the car belonged to: there were two people the killer recognized as detectives from the homicide unit at the door talking to the father. To the killers dismay neither were Ashley.

Both of the other families lived within five minutes of the first family so she decided to swing by the other houses to see what was going on. Sure enough at the other two houses there were unfamiliar vehicles and people. The only thing that bugged the killer was that Ashley nor Hayley had made appearances at any of the three homes.

The killer decided to swing by Ashley’s house and check on the camera. As she was parking a few blocks away her phone rang.

“Hello?” she said confused, she was on vacation this week so there was no reason work should be bothering her.

“Hey, there are some police officers at the studio who want to talk to you and your team. Is there any way you could swing by? The other girls are on their way in.” the killers boss said.

“Um, sure. It’ll be about a half an hour or so though.” the killer replied as evenly as she could manage.

There was a pause which she assumed was her boss relaying that information to the police. Finally her boss came back on the line, “That’s fine, just get here as soon as you can.” and she hung up.

The killer sat in her car dumbfounded. “How the fuck did they figure that out so fast? And how the fuck did Ashley get my envelope? Because obviously that’s why the cops are on the correct path. She never left the god damn house though.” The killer yelled as she pulled up the live video stream from Ashley’s house. The last time she checked the video it had been yesterday afternoon. She was immediately pissed off at herself for her lack of diligence. After scrolling through a couple of hours of footage she found what she was looking for. Two women arriving that she didn’t recognize. One of the women had files and the envelopes in her hand.

The killer decided she ha wasted enough time and started the car. After this meeting with the police she would figure out who the mystery women were. She was slightly nervous about what would happen at the studio but her confidence outweighed her uncertainty. “I’m too good to be caught before my plan is complete!”


	44. Chapter 44

Hayley and Jameson had a look around the studio while they waited for their three suspects to arrive. Spencer had managed to get them a search warrant for the trio’s photography space and the owner allowed them to look through the whole studio without protest. They didn’t really find anything of interest in the common areas but each of the women had a locker in the back of their photography space.

“Can you open these up?” Hayley called out to the owner of the studio.

She came rushing in and said, “I just found the combinations. I figured you’d want to take a look in them.”

Hayley and Jameson took a step back as the woman busied herself with the locks. Before she got the first one open the officer in the lobby peaked his head in, “Two of the women are here, Tara and Sandra. We’re just waiting on Carmen.”

“Figures.” Hayley mumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes.

“Well both Carmen and Tara said they would be about a half an hour. Tara made really good time I guess.” The owner said as she opened the first lock. “This is Sandra’s. She’s the assistant, well prop girl really.”

Before looking through the locker Hayley asked, “Do all three women always work with every client?”

The owner shook her head and answered, “Not necessarily. For example maybe Carmen will do a shoot then Tara will process the pictures or vice versa. Sandra is usually at all the shoots but if she’s not needed she’ll work the reception desk.”

Satisfied with the owners response, Hayley and Jameson then looked through the contents of the first locker and found nothing incriminating. There was a change of clothes, some aspirin and some granola bars.

By the time they had gone through the first locker the owner had the other two locks open. They were also informed that Carmen had arrived but they figured they should go through the lockers before interviewing the women.

Jameson took the second locker and Hayley the third. The locker Jameson looked through was nearly empty except for a water bottle and a bag of chips. The locker that Hayley was going through on the other hand had a lot of stuff. She pulled out two messenger bags which Jameson quickly grabbed and started going through.

As Hayley opened a notebook that was on the top shelf of the locker she said, “I may have something here.”

Inside the notebook were names and addresses with descriptions of the people, the few Hayley read were families with one child. The addresses were all over the country but they were grouped by city with three per page. At the back of the notebook was an envelope of pictures.

Hayley looked at the first picture and knew what these meant. “Who’s locker is this?”

The woman frowned and said, “It’s Carmen’s locker.”

“Son of a bitch!” Hayley said then turned to Jameson and pointed to the other side of the room.. “Let’s talk over there.”

After a quick conversation Jameson walked into the lobby. Hayley wanted to follow but knew she had to keep her distance from Carmen given her history with Ashley. But she couldn’t help watching from the doorway.

Jameson walked up to Carmen and said, “Carmen you are under arrest for the murders of the Olsen family, the Daniels family and probably a few more before everything is said and done.”

Carmen looked petrified. When she looked around, saw Hayley in the doorway and asked, “Where’s Ashley?”

Hayley walked into the room and replied, “Your ex isn’t gonna help you, you threatened her family for fuck sake.”

Carmen remained speechless and shaking as Jameson finished with her Miranda right.

As Jameson escorted Carmen out to the waiting squad car out front Hayley took care of things inside. “We’ll still need a statement from each of you ladies. Officer Peterson will talk to you in a few moments.” She turned to the owner and said, “No one goes in that room until our CSU guys go through it. They should be here soon.”

Hayley pulled Peterson to the side, “How much do you know about these cases officer?”

“Only what I’ve read in the paper, detective.” Peterson admitted.

“Thanks for your honesty.” Hayley said with a smile. She had encountered many male beat cops who acted like they knew everything about everything so it was refreshing to meet one who was truthful. “Can you access your email here?”

Peterson pulled out his cell phone, “Smart phones are a wonderful thing.” he replied with a smile.

“That they are.” Hayley agreed. She pulled up the emailed files and forwarded them to the young officer and discussed how to question the women.

“Got it.” he replied. “I’ll type up the interviews and send them to you detective.”

“Thank you for all your help.” Jameson said then went back to speak with the owner.

Once things were squared away inside Hayley joined Jameson outside. Jameson quickly started the conversation, “So that was Ashley’s ex?”

“Yeah.” Hayley replied.

“How the hell are you gonna tell her about this?” Jameson asked.

“I have no fucking clue.” Hayley admitted. “But I have a feeling she’s gonna freak out thoroughly.”

“Well her ex was plotting to kill her, Aiden and Sebastian. I think she’s allowed to freak out a bit.” Jameson said.

“Agreed but you’re coming with me when I tell her.” Hayley said as she walked towards the car. “And let’s leave our guns in the car. And makes sure we get hers out of the house before we tell her."

“You’re kidding right?” Jameson asked nervously. “Just overreacting right?”

“I hope but who knows with Ashley. There is the saying don’t shoot the messenger for a reason. Ashley tends to react before she things so be ready for anything.” Hayley said as she pulled into traffic. She thought for a moment then said, “On second thought maybe I should go on my own. Maybe the news will be easier to take with just me there. Plus, if she wants to hit anyone you may be the logical target since you officially arrested her so I‘ll save you the potential black eye.”

“That’s completely up to you Hayley. You know Ashley and her moods far better than I ever will. All I can say is good luck, if you choose to go on your own.” Jameson replied with a shrug.


	45. Chapter 45

The pieces seemed to be falling into place which should have made me happy. Instead I felt uneasy. This all seemed too easy for some reason. Our killer had been so careful along the way it seemed unbelievable they would make it so easy now.

Unfortunately all I could do was sit at home and wait for news. Spencer had left this morning intent on getting a search warrant for the portrait studio and Hayley was heading to the station to meet up with Jameson before heading to the studio. With any luck they would have a suspect in custody before lunch and I hoped that suspect was not Carmen.

I’ll be the first to admit that Carmen and I’s relationship was a disaster and a half by the end. We met by chance, she was on the team my dad had doing some work on the bar. She intrigued me immediately, it was her eyes. We started off slowly, occasionally going out to lunch or dinner, going to a movie here and there, and getting coffee on occasion too. After a few months things began to get more serious. We would spend more time together including spending some nights together, it seemed like if I wasn’t working or taking care of Sebastian I was with her. Six months after meeting her I introduced her to Aiden then to Sebastian and they both liked her. None of us had any clue how badly things would go down hill.

About a year into our relationship things started to get trying between Carmen and I. She began to demand more and more of my time. Normally it’s not a bad thing to spend time with ones girlfriend but she was carrying it too far. Anytime I said I couldn’t spend time with her, no matter what the reason, she would jump off the dramatic deep end. Although she had threatened to hurt herself she had never hinted at harming anyone else. Carmen may be a little crazy but I can’t wrap my head around her being our killer.

Given the nature of these crimes, I get the impression that our killer is very cold and calculating. Meticulously organized in all aspects of their life, not just in their crimes. The Carmen I knew was the exact opposite of every aspect of that description but of course I could be wrong.

Carmen jumped from job to job, usually quitting before they could fire her for her attendance or her attitude depending. She wore her emotions on her sleeve, everyone always knew what kind of mood she was in which I found refreshing honestly whether it was good for me or not. I always hate when people hide their feelings or put up a front, I have a hard time trusting people like that. I can never figure out where I stand with them. Things may be good for weeks or months then all of a sudden they blow up at you for every wrong you’ve ever committed. At least with Carmen I knew how she was feeling, I didn’t always like it and it resulted in some heated battles but I knew after only a few words where I stood at any given time.

The last thing that didn’t seem to fit was the organized aspect. Carmen’s apartment was always a mess, she could never seem to find anything she was looking for. Sometimes just finding her keys or wallet was a half hour chore. Could someone so unreliable, emotionally volatile and unorganized really be the mastermind behind these family murders?

 

The more they discussed talking to Ashley the more it made sense to Hayley and Jameson to put it off until after Carmen was questioned. Hayley knew she was being a bit of a chicken in delaying the inevitable encounter but she hoped they could get a confession before telling Ashley the bad news.

Jameson and Hayley joined Jones, Spencer and the Captain outside the interrogation room. They all watched Carmen pacing around and fidgeting.

“Okay, I have to say it,” Spencer broke the silence. “She doesn’t look capable of these crimes. She looks like a scared kind in there.”

“Looks can be deceiving counselor.” The Captain responded though he had to admit to himself that he agreed with her. This women did not display the confidence that he imagined this killer would.

“Agreed.” Hayley said angrily. “This woman is crazy, she’s more than capable of this shit.” She turned to Jameson and said, “You and Jones should get in there and crack her.”

Jameson looked confused, “Me and Jones? I figured you’d want a crack at her first Williams.”

Hayley shook her head, “I’m here simply in an observation capacity.”

“Is this by choice?” Jameson questioned.

The Captain spoke up, “This is completely voluntary. Williams removed herself from this part of the case.”

Hayley nodded, “I figured me interviewing my best friends ex would be a conflict of interest.”

Spencer smiled and said, “I appreciate that Hayley.”

“Hey if Carmen did this I want there to be no way of her worming her way out of this.” Hayley firmly stated.

“Makes sense.” Jameson said with a shrug. “So are we gonna do this?” She asked looking at her partner Jones.

He nodded, “I’ll follow your lead partner.”

Spencer spoke up as Jameson reached for the door. “Oh, here’s the notebook and pictures. See what she has to say about these.”

Jameson nodded, grabbed the evidence and walked into the room.

Carmen stopped pacing and looked at the detectives, “Where’s Ashley? I want to talk to Ashley!”

“I’m sorry but Detective Davies is out of the building right now, you’ll have to talk to me.” Jameson replied calmly.

Carmen sighed, “But you can call Ashley. She can tell you I didn’t do this, I couldn’t have done anything you are accusing me of.”

“Well Ashley’s not here and she’s not coming either so you have to convince me you didn’t murder these families So what have you got?” Jameson asked.

“What do you mean what have I got?” Carmen replied, obviously confused.

Jameson shook her head wondering if the stupidity was an act or was she just dumb. “What proof do you have that you’re not the one who killed the Olsen family, the Daniels family and has been threatening Ashley’s family. Not to mention the families from other cities, possibly other states.”

“”I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I could never threaten Ashley and Sebastian. Why am I even here?” Carmen pleaded.

“Sorry Carmen but I have a hard time buying this ignorance act of yours.” Jameson said coolly.

“It’s not an act, I have no idea what you are talking about.” Carmen replied then rolled her eyes. “But I doubt you would believe anything I say so what now?”

Jameson laughed then smirked, “Well that was a quick change in attitude.”

“What the hell does my attitude have to do with anything. You’re accusing me of something I didn’t do and you are starting to annoy me.” Carmen snapped back.

“Oh you haven’t seen anything yet.” Jameson replied.

Jones decided to jump in before things got more heated. “Let’s take a step back ladies. Carmen how about you have a seat and answer a few questions for me?”

Carmen glared at Jameson then stood across from Jones. “Sure, I guess.”

Jones smiled then asked, “Have you ever lived in San Francisco Carmen?”

Carmen looked confused by the change in subject. “Yeah, I grew up out in California. My mom moved us up and down the coast until I was eighteen.”

“What happened then? I mean after you turned eighteen that is.” Jones inquired.

Carmen shrugged, “Well I could finally move out on my own, away from my crazy mother.”

“So you did what exactly?” Jones questioned, leading the conversation.

“I moved away from my family. I needed to get as far away as I could manage.” Carmen replied.

Jones waited for a few moments for Carmen to continue. When she offered nothing further he asked, “And where was that?”

“Here, Milwaukee.” Carmen simply stated.

“Why Milwaukee of all places?” Jameson jumped in.

“Why not.” Carmen countered. “It’s not the biggest city in the world but it’s big enough to have lots of employment options. Plus there is very little chance that my family would ever come looking for me here. Plus I could afford to get here and live here while I looked for a job.”

Jameson was surprised by that answer seeing that a few similar murders were in Chicago, Madison and Lake Geneva which would require money to get from place to place. She didn’t let the surprise show to Carmen and asked, “Milwaukee is the only place you’ve lived since your California days?”

“Yes!” Carmen said confidently. “I like this city. The winters are a little harsh but nothing I can’t live with.”

“Alright I’ll give you that I guess.” Jameson said but then went in for the kill shot. “So what have you got to say about these items we found in your locker at the portrait studio?” She said as Jones laid out the pictures of the families who had been killed and the notebook with their addresses.

“What the hell?” Carmen said. She took one look at the pictures and seemed disgusted. “I’ve never see this stuff before.”

“Really?” Jameson questioned with a smirk. “Because we found this stuff in your locker at work.”

“But I’ve never seen these pictures or that notebook! That doesn’t even look like my handwriting!” Carmen said defensively.

“Well forgive me if I don’t believe you Carmen but we found these possessions in your locker. Some of these pictures are of families who have been known victims.”

“But how would I have these if I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Carmen asked.

Jones spoke next, “I suppose that’s a question only you can answer Carmen. Have you seen the news reports about the families in the area being killed.”

Carmen shook her head, “I don’t watch the news, it’s too depressing.”

Jameson smiled and took over, “Well isn’t that convenient. Any way around it, this is not looking good for you Carmen.”

“Then I guess I need a lawyer.” Carmen said. “If you won’t let me talk to Ashley then I want a lawyer.”


	46. Chapter 46

There was a knock at my door and I just knew what the news would be. I opened the door and saw a nervous looking Hayley. I didn’t let her speak first, “You took Carmen into custody, right?”

Hayley looked confused, “How did you know?”

“I just had a feeling.” I admitted with a shrug. “Do you really think she’s responsible for the murders?”

Hayley sighed and said, “That’s what the evidence says.”

As we sat down on my futon I asked, “What evidence did you find that made you take her into custody?”

“Well there was a notebook filled with addresses from different parts of the country. At least the cities on our radar though she claims it’s not her handwriting. There were also pictures of know victims in the back of the notebook.” Hayley said.

“This all seems too convenient doesn’t it?” I questioned.

“Yeah it does.” Hayley reluctantly admitted. “I don’t know what to think at this point. I mean Carmen is crazy, I told you that repeatedly when you two were dating.”

“But?” I butted in.

“Was Carmen a really good actress?” Hayley asked.

I shook my head, “Not at all. She sucked at lying, it was one of her more endearing qualities.”

“Any hint of multiple personalities?” Hayley threw back.

I laughed, “Crazy obsessive maybe and really fucking clingy but Carmen isn’t certifiably crazy. Where are you going with this Hayley?”

“Well she was acting a little crazed but I’m not sue if she is this crazy I guess.” Hayley said. “She seemed scared to death in that interrogation room and I figured our killer would be a bit more composed honestly. But it could all just be an act.”

“So what are you thinking? Charge her or keep looking?” I had to ask.

“For right now we investigate her. I already asked Spencer to get a warrant to search her house. Hopefully we’ll find the murder weapons there and the case will be closed.” Hayley offered.

“Well good luck with that, I doubt she has changed much in her housekeeping. You may be searching for a while.” I said with a smile.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hayley asked.

“”Carmen’s house was always a mess. I’m not sure if she knows how to throw anything away.” I said with a laugh then also added, “And last I knew Carmen didn’t own a car.”

“I haven’t gotten a chance to check that out yet.” Hayley admitted. “That may be a problem if she doesn’t but who’s to say she didn’t borrow a car from someone, legally or otherwise.”

“I guess.” I replied. “But just be prepared, you may not have the right person on this one.”

“Right now I gotta work this like we do every other case Ash. Carmen is our only suspect, with evidence to back it up. Circumstantial as it may be, it’s what we have.”

 

The killer felt more nervous than confident. She couldn’t remember being this nervous before in her life. She was hoping to produce one more masterpiece before her final act but given recent circumstances she had to speed up her timeframe. Would there be enough time for both?

She didn’t like feeling rushed but she had no choice. As far as she could tell Ashley was no longer involved with the investigation which pissed her off. Ashley had not been at the portrait studio or any of the potential victims homes and her video feed told her the detective had not left the house, even with her ex in police custody. She wasn’t sure if she would have time to complete her final masterpiece before her final play but she had to try. Ina matter of hours the perfect family would be hers.

 

Cain had started acting funny. This was the last thing I needed at the moment. The investigation seemed so close to completion though I couldn’t help but doubt Carmen’s guilt. I couldn’t help feeling that the real killer was somehow setting up Carmen.

“Who had access to these lockers?” I asked Hayley after she had fully explained what had happened at the portrait studio.

“Well the owner obviously had the combinations but she didn’t know them off the top of her head. I suppose either Tara or Sandra, the other women who work there, may have also been able to get into the others lockers.” Hayley explained.

“So in theory one of these other two women could have set Carmen up?” I asked.

“In theory yes, I guess.” Hayley admitted. “But those two seemed genuinely shocked according to the officer who interviewed them.”

“Come on Hayley. If you were a cold blooded murderer trying to frame someone else you’d appear shocked to the police too.” I responded.

“True, but honestly Ash you’re too close to this case now with your ex as our main suspect. Carmen is fucking crazy. Why is that so unbelievable to you?” Hayley pointed out.

“I know and honestly at this point I won’t rule anyone or anything out.” I honestly admitted. “But I want the correct person going down for this, not some sort of decoy. If Carmen is not the killer then my family is still in danger!” I replied firmly.

 

The killer knew it was time. She couldn’t wait any longer to create her final masterpiece. With Carmen in custody, she couldn’t wait any longer. She was slightly sad she wouldn’t get to complete her current project but then again maybe she could. She figured she could run by the Mastro family’s house, create a masterpiece then take care of her final project. The police would never know what hit them, especially with the Mastro’s home only blocks away from Ashley’s house. It would be perfect.

Now with a plan in mind the killer got busy collecting the items she needed for the afternoon and evening. For her today had begun badly but the rest of the day was going to be amazing.

 

After Hayley headed back to the station I decided to pay Aiden a visit. Although we haven’t always gotten along, he was still one of my best friends and I needed someone to talk this out with.

I found Aiden cleaning up in the living room, “Hey Ash, what’s going on?”

“A lot actually, got time to talk?” I asked.

He smiled and said, “I’ve got a few hours till I gotta pick up Bash.”

“You mean they actually had school today?” I joked. I know our son was at school, that was part of the reason I came down to talk to him.

“Right! I never remember MPS having so many days off when we were kids.” Aiden laughed. After several moments of me not saying anything Aiden spoke again. “So what’s going on Ash? I can tell something new is bugging you.”

I smirked, “That obvious hey?”

“Give me a break Ash, we’ve known each other nearly our whole lives and I’m not as dumb as I look so what gives?” Aiden said with a smile.

I sighed then decided to come right out with it, “They made an arrest in the family killer case.”

“That’s good, right?” Aiden asked seeming confused by my lack of enthusiasm.

I took another deep breath and said, “They arrested Carmen.”

Aiden thought for a moment, probably trying to place the name. “Wait your ex Carmen?”

I nodded, “The very same.”

“Oh that’s bad.” He said then added, “You really think she’s capable of this?"

“Do you?” I asked out of curiosity. He knew Carmen too so I wanted to know what he thought.

Aiden didn’t answer right away, but he finally said, “She was a little unhinged but I don’t know if she’s capable of something like this. So now what do you think?”

“Honestly I agree with you, I don’t think she’s capable of this.” I said with a sigh. “Hayley said they found some damning evidence in her locker at work but I just don’t see it. She’s not that violent of a person.”

“But she can be violent. She did hit you once Ash.” Aiden reminded me.

I just rolled my eyes, “Yeah once and only once. There is a huge difference between a tiny domestic violence incident and murdering at least five families.”

“I know.” Aiden said putting his hands up as if surrendering. “Two totally different things, no need to get defensive.”

I immediately felt horrible. “I’m sorry Aiden. This is just bugging me. My gut is telling me she didn’t do it but the evidence found points to her.”

Aiden shrugged and said, “So why not go talk to her? Get her side of the story.”

“I’m officially off the case Aiden, I can’t interview the main suspect.” I replied.

Aiden shook his head and offered, “Go in and talk to the captain, I’m sure he’ll let you talk to her. I mean the killer did threaten us, shouldn’t you be allowed to ask why?”

“It doesn’t quite work like that Aiden.”

Aiden walked up to me, grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eye. “You’re going to drive yourself nuts if you don’t try. You need to find out for your own piece of mind, if Carmen is the killer you’ve been looking for.”

I sighed, “You’re right Aiden, thanks.” I gave him a hug then turned to leave.

“Did she confess?” Aiden asked before I left the room.

I turned and replied, “Not that I know of. All Hayley said was she wanted to talk to me and knew nothing about the crimes.”

“Well be careful, this psycho may still be out there.” Aiden said, “Oh, if you’re interested and have time my girlfriend is coming over for dinner tonight, you’re more than welcome to join us.”

I smiled and said, “I just may take you up on that. And could I bring Cain down here? She’s acting kind of funny and I don’t really want to leave her alone.”

“No problem. I’ll set her up in the basement since Zebbie hates it down there.” Aiden said.

“I almost forgot they don’t get along. Are you sure you’re okay with having her down here?” I asked.

“It’ll be fine. Any sign of trouble and I’ll close the basement door.” Aiden said with a smile. “I’ll come up and help you bring down her and her stuff.”


	47. Chapter 47

I kept getting strange looks as I walked into the station, no doubt the news about my ex being the crazy serial killer had spread like a wild fire. I didn’t stop to talk to anyone though, I headed straight for the Captains office. Lucky for me his door was open and he was sitting at his desk.

“Captain we need to talk.” I said as I closed the door.

“Nice to see you too Ashley. Please come in, although I’m pretty sure you aren’t supposed to be here per my orders.” the Captain said in a joking manner.

“I know it’s not standard procedure but I want to talk to Carmen. Not as an interrogating officer or anything, just as…” I hesitated because I wasn’t sure how to finish that statement: friend, ex, victim. What exactly would be appropriate here?

The Captain saved me the trouble of finishing that statement by saying, “I’m fine with that Ashley.”

“Wait, what?” I was honestly surprised I didn’t have to beg.

“I think it’s a good idea for you to talk to her, I was thinking about calling you in actually. Jameson and Jones have gotten nowhere with her and she’s asked to speak to you a number of times. She’s got a lawyer now but maybe she’ll talk to you and we can get a few things cleared up.” He explained.

“Cleared up Capt?” I asked.

He sighed and said, “Obviously you know Carmen better than I do but honestly I just don’t see it. She doesn’t seem like a killer, much less a prolific and meticulous serial murderer.”

“I agree with you Captain, I definitely have my doubts.” I admitted. “But I got the impression from Hayley that you guys think you have the right person.”

“Yeah well it seems Hayley has a serious dislike for this woman. That’s why I haven’t allowed her to talk to Carmen.” the Captain said with a laugh.

“Makes sense to me.” I replied with a shrug.

“Look as I said I have no problem with you talking to Carmen but I have to make sure of one thing Ashley.” He paused and I just nodded for him to go on. “Are there any lingering hostilities you have towards your ex that might come back to bite us if you talk to her?”

“Capt you have nothing to worry about. Granted Carmen and I’s relationship was a rollercoaster I know I’m better off without her. Things were resolved and all I want now is the truth.” I said confidently.

He nodded and said, “Then let’s go see if Carmen will talk to you. At this point I don’t care if it’s with or without her lawyer, we just need answers.”

“Great.” I said as we both got up to leave his office. “Oh, is there any chance I could see the evidence you guys found in her locker before I talk to her?”

“Miss Carlin is holding onto it during the questioning process. She’s probably still writing warrants in the interrogation room next to where we have Carmen. We’ll stop by there first.” He offered.

As the Captain had guessed Spencer was busily typing away at the computer. I took a quick glance at Carmen through the two way mirror then looked back at the Captain.

He nodded for me to go talk to Spencer while he waited outside. The door was open and I could see that Spencer had her back to the door. I took the opportunity to mess with her a little. I walked up behind her and said, “Typing anything interesting?”

She jumped in her chair and yelped, “”Shit you scared me.”

I smiled and said, “I didn’t exactly mean to scare you.”

“Right.” Spencer said catching her breath. “What are you doing here Ashley? I thought you were supposed to stay away from here for at least the rest of the week?”

I answered with a shrug, “Yeah well that was before my ex was arrested for the family murders.”

“Oh, right.” Spencer said then looked back at the computer screen.

I guess I never considered how awkward a conversation would become when discussing the potential of ones ex being a serial killer would become. Any way around it I needed information. “So the Captain said you have the evidence that was found in Carmen’s locker.”

“Yeah, I do.” Spencer replied without taking her eyes off the computer screen.

“Well I was wondering if I could take a look at it before I try to talk to Carmen?” I asked with a hopeful smile.

Spencer let out a sigh and said, “Ashley you’re not on this case anymore. I can’t just hand evidence over to you.”

“With my okay you can and I am going the okay Miss Carlin.” The Captain said from the doorway.

“Oh, sorry Captain.” Spencer said as she dug in her computer bag which doubled as her brief case. “I didn’t see you there.”

“I was messaging the powers that be about our progress on the case.” He informed us. “They also agree with me that Ashley should get a look at the evidence. But I have to go upstairs Ash so take a look at what Spencer’s got. Carmen has agreed to talk to you so see what you can get out of her.” He said then left the room.

When I looked back at Spencer she was holding up a notebook for me. “This is what was found.”

I spent about ten minutes looking through the notebook and pictures found in Carmen’s locker. I had to admit it was compelling evidence that she was the killer but there was something off about the notebook. The pictures were of the families killed, not only here in Milwaukee but the ones John had told us about as well. Plus in the notebook addresses were grouped in threes by area, just like the photos I had received. I couldn’t blame them for arresting Carmen, this all seemed to fit what we knew. But the thought still nagged at my mind, this was just too easy.

“So what do you think?” Spencer asked.

“Honestly it seems too easy!” I admitted.

Spencer shrugged, “True but you can’t deny what’s there in black and white Ashley.”

“But you don’t know Carmen.” I replied a little defensively.

Spencer looked at me and said, “That’s true but do you really know her either? Maybe she only let you see what she wanted you to see.”

“No!” I shot back. “Carmen may be a lot of things but she’s not this deceptive. If she were a killer she would be sloppy. I don’t think she’s capable of this kind of organized deception.”

“Well the evidence says otherwise detective.” Spencer said coolly.

“Well counselor the evidence is wrong! First of all this doesn’t even look like her handwriting.” I replied just as coolly. I thought we had at least become friends but Spencer seemed to be drawing the battle lines now.

“Well I suppose we’ll see what kind of tale you ex spins for you.” Spencer said as she started to get up.

“You don’t have to escort me, I can walk across the hall on my own.” I said as I stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me.

Though I was pissed at how Spencer had questioned my judgment, I had to pull my emotions together. I needed answers from Carmen and I knew I wouldn’t get them if I stormed into the room pissed off. I paused in front of the two way mirror and looked at my ex. She was talking with a guy in a suit who I recognized as one of the better public defenders in the city. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I’m sure he was telling her what to say and not to say to any cops that walked through the door to question her. One look at Carmen’s face told me she was scared out of her mind. I waited a few more minutes before I walked in the room.

“Ashley!” Carmen yelled, her face immediately brightening.

I calmly replied, “Carmen, we need to talk.”


	48. Chapter 48

“Detectives Davies!” the attorney said holding out his hand. “I’m Will Marlin, Carmen’s legal counsel.”

“We’ve met before Will.” I said shaking his hand. Though I didn’t remember his name I wasn’t lying about meeting him before.

“True.” he said with a smile. “But I figured I’d introduce myself again in case you had forgotten.”

“Good to know.” I replied with an equally cheesy grin.

“Will,” Carmen chimed in. “Could Ashley and I have a few minutes to talk?”

Will looked nervous and said, “I would advise against that Carmen. Ashley is the lead detective on the cases you are being charged with.”

“I was counselor, but I’m not anymore.” I said.

Will now looked confused, “Wait what?”

“I was removed from the cases about a week ago. I am her simply as a friend, not in an official capacity.” I said calmly.

“Oh,” he replied then turned to Carmen. “I still have to advise against you speaking privately with Detective Davies.”

“I understand,” Carmen said. “And I don’t care. I would like some privacy so I can speak with Ashley, please.”

Will shrugged his shoulders and said, “Alright, it’s your life.” And with that he left the room.

“Ashley, I’m so glad you came!” Carmen said happily after the lawyer left the room.

“Hold on a sec.” I walked out of the room and saw both Will and Spencer watching the two way mirror. I also saw the red light which indicated the camera was recording and should was being broadcasted so they could hear what we were saying.

I pressed the button which stopped both video and audio feeds. “This discussion is off the record.” I said, glaring at both of them. “Here’s my badge and gun.” I said as I slammed them on the table in front of the two attorneys. “I’m not a cop interviewing a suspect. I’m a civilian so you have no right to listen.”

“But Ashley…” Spencer started but I cut her off.

“No. This conversation is private.” I said glaring at Spencer. “I’m sure the Captain would back me up on this one. Shall I call him?” I asked holding up my phone.

“Alright, we’ll go.” Spencer conceded.

“Really?” Will questioned.

“Yes!” Spencer said intently. “Let’s get some coffee Will. Ashley, you have fifteen minutes then we’ll be back.”

“Thank you.” I said shortly and waited for them to leave before I went back into the room with Carmen. I immediately started playing the band Flyleaf as loudly as I could on my phone, put it on the ledge near the speaker and pointed to the far corner of the room. “Talk quietly.” I instructed her.

Carmen nodded and whispered, “Ashley you can’t imagine how happy I am that you came in to talk to me.”

I had to admit to her, “Carmen I can’t necessarily do much to help you. As you head me tell your lawyer this isn’t my case anymore.”

She frowned. Then she grabbed my arm and pleaded, “Come on Ash, you know I couldn’t have done what they are accusing me of. I could never kill anyone.”

“I don’t know Carmen.” I said shaking my head. “It looks bad already and they haven’t searched your house et. Are they gonna find anything else there?”

“Are you serious? Do you actually believe that notebook and those pictures belong to me?” Carmen asked. “You should know better than anyone here my handwriting is not as neat and readable as the writing in that notebook.”

I was thrown off. “What are you talking about?” We didn’t usually show recovered evidence to a suspect this soon.

“Those detectives, Jameson and Jones, they showed me some horrific photos and a notebook they apparently found in my locker.” Carmen explained. “I don’t buy it though. I just think Hayley has it in for me.”

“And why is that? Why would Hayley have it in for you?” I asked slightly defensively.

Carmen laughed and smirked, “Really? You don’t see it Ashley?”

“See what?” I asked. I was starting to get a bit annoyed with Carmen. I was here to try to clear her name but she was grating on my nerves. Was this just a huge waste of my time?

“Hayley’s got a thing for you. She’d probably hold a grudge against anyone you’ve ever been involved with!” Carmen stated then quickly continued, “She probably saw my name and figured, great I can frame her for this shit and really keep her out of Ashley’s life forever!”

I rolled my eyes, “Aren’t you over reacting a bit Carmen? Besides you are already out of my life, Hayley wouldn’t have to do anything to change that.”

“Well I don’t think I’m over reacting Ash. Hayley looked almost giddy when she saw me in handcuffs.” Carmen said, then her voice changed to more of a pleading tone. “I didn’t do this Ashley. I’m being framed!”

Although I believed her I kept a skeptical tone to my voice, “And how would someone frame you? Better yet why would someone want to frame you Carmen?”

“I don’t know, maybe because of our history?” Carmen speculated. “Jameson said something about your family being threatened, maybe the person who did this saw the crazy ex girlfriend as a good person to pin this on. And did I mention the handwriting in that notebook looks nothing like mine?”

“Okay Carmen, then who do you think the real killer is? As you said the killer seems to have a grudge against me and you seem like a pretty good candidate.” I replied defensively.

“On paper I guess but honestly I hold no grudge against you for breaking up with me. I dove off the deep end, repeatedly and I get that.” Carmen explained. “I know I have issues and I’m trying to work through them. But I swear to you, I have never killed another person.” Carmen pleaded.

I sighed and thought for a few moments before responding. I didn’t believe that Carmen was capable of murder but I had let my feelings cloud that a bit. Carmen fucked me over mentally but that didn’t mean she was guilty of murder necessarily. “Okay, who would have had access to your locker at work besides you?”

“Honestly anyone, employee or costumer alike. I never locked it because I couldn’t remember the combination.” Carmen admitted.

“Hold on a sec.” I said as I walked out of the room in search of Hayley or Jameson. “Jameson, can I ask you something?”

“Of course Ash, you can ask me anything.” She said with her normal flirtatious smile.

I ignored her tone and get right to the point. “Were all three lockers locked when you got to the portrait studio?”

Jameson answered immediately “Yeah, the owner had to open the lockers for us. Why?”

“Carmen may have been set up, I just needed some confirmation. Thank you.” I said.

“Look Ashley, I know she’s your ex and all but sometimes we don’t know people as well as we think we do.” Jameson said in response.

“I understand that’s the popular opinion on this situation right now but honestly you guys may be wrong. And I know I might be wrong too but I need to know for sure, I couldn’t live with myself otherwise.” I replied.

“Look I get that you’re worried what people will think Ashley but that will pass.” Jameson quickly replied.

“This isn’t about my reputation, this is about my sons future. He may not have one if you guys convict the wrong person.” I said then walked back to the interrogation room where Carmen was. As I walked in I said, “So your locker was locked. Are you sure you left it unlocked?”

“Yes I’m sure. All you have to do is talk to the owner.” She said, “After the fifth or sixth time she had to dig out the combination and open it for me she actually suggested I leave it unlocked and take anything of value with me.”

“I’ll make sure they check on that Carmen. I just hope you’re not lying to me.” I warned.

Carmen looked me in the eye and said, “I promise you, I’m not lying Ashley!”

“We’ll see about that!” and with that I left. I had work to do.


	49. Chapter 49

About twenty minutes later I arrived at the portrait studio. Lucky for me the owner was still at work. I showed her my badge and said, “I’m Detective Ashley Davies, homicide. I was wondering if I could ask up a question or two?"

“Why not.” The owner said almost dismissively. “I’ve already answered a million questions today. What’s a couple more?”

“Thank you! I’m just doing a little follow up to solidify some details.” I said pleasantly. “Now did you suggest to Carmen that she leave her locker unlocked?”

She seemed surprised by the question but said, “Yes, I did. I swear that girl would forget her head if it wasn’t already attached. Although I did warn her not to leave anything valuable in there just in case.” She finished with a smile but her expression quickly changed. “It didn’t even dawn on me earlier, all three lockers were locked.”

I smiled, “Both facts were what I heard from Carmen and Detective Jameson earlier. Now who was responsible for processing the pictures the team took?”

“They all shared that duty. Honestly because of that they are my best, most efficient team. They’re always very prompt in getting proofs back to their clients.” she said with a smile.

I followed up, “Is there any record of who took care of which proofs?”

“I could check. As I said they divide it up amongst themselves so I never really look at the records but I’ll pull up the files. Is there a specific set of proofs you’re looking for?” She said as she walked towards her office.

“Let’s try the Daniels family.” I said giving her the address. “Probably would have been November or early December. I’m sorry I can’t be more specific on time.”

She punched the information into the computer. “Looks like Carmen took care of them but she made a note here that Tara delivered the proofs to their house. That’s weird!”

“What’s weird?” I asked expectantly.

“Well we don’t usually deliver proofs to people’s homes. The clients normally come back here to look through the proofs.”

I quickly jotted down the names and addresses of the other families who were murdered. “Can you check these too?”

“Of course.” the owner said. After a couple of minutes she said, “The proofs were all processed by Carmen but they all have the same note that Tara had delivered the proofs.”

I’m gonna need Tara’s information. I’ll need to speak with her.” I said anxiously.

“Of course,” the owner pulled her employee info page and printed it out for me. “But the police talked to her earlier. If she had any information I’m sure she would have told them.”

“I’m sure too. But as I said before I’m just doing routine follow up. Thank you for your help.” I said before I ran to my car.

 

The killer rang the doorbell at the Mastro house. She was a little nervous because there was a police car across the street but she couldn’t back down now. Her plan was in motion.

The wife answered the door, “Tara, how nice to see you again. What can I do for you?”

“I have your proofs ready,” She said with a smile. “If you’d like we can look over them now and I can get your final copies processed tonight.”

“Oh that would be wonderful.” Mrs. Mastro replied. “Come on in, I’ll get my husband and daughter.”

“Great!” Tara, the killer, said with a smile.

 

I ran by Tara’s house but no one was home. I surprised myself a bit with my next call. “Madison, it’s Ashley.”

“Detective, what a surprise. What can I do for you?”

“Can your friend run a name for me?” I wasn’t really sure why I trusted Madison enough to ask for help but it seemed like the best option at the moment. The lab guys would give me the run around since I wasn’t on the case anymore and I needed answers quickly.

“No problem,” Madison replied. “What’s the name?”

“Tara Winters.” I also rattled off her address and social security number. “I just need any information he can find on this lady.”

“I am typing an email to him as we speak. He should have some information within the hour I’d guess. I’ll call you as soon as he sends me anything.” Madison said.

“Thank you Madison, I owe you.” I didn’t like saying that but she was helping me out.

“You’re welcome.” Madison said then thought to add, “Just hear Spencer out when she finds you, okay?”

“What?” Why did it seem like everyone was confusing me today. This is why I don’t normally take time off, my brain turned to dumb way too quick sometimes.

“I talked to Spencer a little bit ago and she was upset about something that went down between you and her earlier. Just hear her out.” Madison informed me.

“Sure, no problem.” I answered, not really sure what else to say. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

 

Tara looked around the living room while she waited for the family. She thought this room was as good as any. She hated rushing things but she didn’t have much time to create this masterpiece. She laid the proofs out on the coffee table and pulled it closer to the couch to set the stage.

“Found them!” Mrs. Mastro smiled and pointed to her husband and daughter. “They were playing video games in the basement!”

Tara smiled, “I set the proofs up. Have a seat and look them over.”

They sat down just as she had hoped, with the daughter between the two parents. Tara walked behind them, pulled out her gun which she had outfitted with a silencer and quickly shot each on in the back of the head. She watched them closely for a few minutes to make sure all three were dead.

When she was satisfied she circled the couch and made sure all three were sitting upright facing the TV. She turned on Animal Planet and took her bag into the bathroom. She carefully took off her clothes, wrapped them up and washed off any blood she had on her skin. She didn’t want to give the police outside any hit about what had just happened inside the house. Then from her bag she pulled out clean clothes, identical to the ones she had just taken off and got dressed. She put the bloody clothes and the gun in her bag then went back to the living room. She snapped a few pictures of her final masterpiece then headed for the door. It was time for her to claim her perfect family.

 

Though I wanted to wait for this woman to get home, it was getting late and I had told Aiden I’d meet his new girlfriend tonight. I went back and forth about it in my head, finally deciding to wait another five minutes or so. Just before I decided to leave my phone rang, “What did he find out Madison?”

“Well nothing for the last five years on Tara Winters.” she said.

“That’s a good thing, right?” I offered.

“Actually no Ashley, Tara Winters died five years ago in a car accident in Chicago.”

It took me a few moments to process this information. If Tara Winters died five years ago then whose face was I looking at on the paper the owner of the studio gave me. Suddenly it clicked and I blurted out, “The killer, shit!”

“What about the killer?” Madison asked, obviously confused.

I quickly said, “I know who she is, sort of. She was posing as Tara Winters and she works at the portrait studio. I gotta go Madison.”

“But Ash…” was all I heard before I hung up on Madison. I quickly snapped a picture of the employee photo and sent it to the Captain then called him.

“Found anyth…”

“Capt I just sent you a picture. Check with Hayley or Jameson and see if she’s one of the other women from the studio.”

“I can’t Ash. We just got word there’s been another family killed, they’re heading out to the scene right now. From the sound of it, our killer is still out there.”

“Shit.” I said wondering what to do next. “Check with…”

“Carmen? Just thought of that myself. Hold on.” I heard him open a door and heard a chair move. Probably Will getting up to say something. “Look I just need to know, do you recognize this woman?” The Captain asked.

Without hesitation I heard Carmen answer, “Yeah that’s Tara Winters. I work with her, why?”

“Thank you!” he said to her then started talking to me, as he walked out of the interrogation room I assumed. “Is this woman a better suspect Davies?”

“Yes sir, especially because the real Tara Winters died five years ago in Chicago.” I explained.

The Captain let out a long sigh, “Shit. I’ll put a BOLO out on her. I’m gonna need you here Ash, ASAP.”

“Sorry but not a chance Capt. This woman killed another family and she’s got it in for mine. I’m going home.” I didn’t even wait for a response, I just hung up then dialed Aiden’s number.

“Hey Ash, you on your way home?” he asked.

“Yeah I am. I need you to go around the house and make sure every door and window is locked. Don’t let anyone in until I get there.” I replied forcefully.

“Carmen didn’t do it then, hey?” Aiden asked.

“No and I know who did, at least I know what she looks like. I’m gonna send you a picture. If you see her take Bash and lock yourselves in the basement immediately. From there call the police and get the gun that’s locked up down there.” I instructed him.

“No problem, just get home safe Ash.”

“I will, I’m about ten minutes away.” I hung up, pulled over and sent him the picture hoping Tara, or whoever she was didn’t show her face at least until after I got home.

 

Tara entered Ashley’s house without any issues. The cops outside knew her as Aiden’s girlfriend so they simply nodded when she approached their car. They talked for a few moments then let her walk to the house. Aiden welcomed her into the house with loving arms. He had no clue of her plans but she was sure he would approve. He had taken Ashley to court to get full custody of their son so why wouldn’t he approve of her ultimate plan?

After only a couple minutes Aiden’s phone rang and he said, “I have to take this, it’s Ashley. Bash is in his room if you want to see what he’s up to or just say hi. I’ll be in my room, I’m not sure how long this will take.”

“Okay.” Tara said with a smile. Once he closed his door she went to Sebastian’s bedroom.

“Bash honey, do you want to help me start dinner?” Tara said with a warm smile.

Sebastian looked up from his Lego’s and said, “Yeah! I always help my mommy cook. And she’s coming for dinner so she’ll be happy I helped.”

“I know Ashley will be here so we should get started little man.” she said with a smile.

As he eagerly walked into the kitchen Tara pulled out a small needle.

Once in the kitchen Bash turned to the killer and asked, “What are we making?” He was confused because he saw no food on the counter.

“Nothing yet honey.” She said as she stepped up to him, placed her hand over his mouth and plunged the syringe into his neck. She picked him up before he could crumble to the floor. He was just unconscious, not dead.

Once she placed him in the basement she went back upstairs with a fresh syringe in hand.

Aiden walked into the kitchen moments after she got up the stairs, “I just have to check a text then I’m all yours.” He said to his girlfriend.

She wasn’t sure what he was doing so she hesitated.

When Aiden saw the picture Ashley had sent him a look of disbelief crossed his face. After a few moments a look of horror settled on his face as he looked at his girlfriend. “You’re the family kill…”

He didn’t finish his statement because Tara had jumped at him and injected him with the same sedative she had just injected Bash with, just a higher dosage.

Once he was out she dragged him down and placed him next to his son, soon to be their son, in the basement.

She had hoped to sedate their stupid dog as well to avoid any complications but she couldn’t find the mangy mutt, she hated pets! And given the fact that Ashley had discovered her fake identity, apparent from the text to Aiden, she wasn’t sure she had time to search for the little twenty some pound dog was either upstairs for some reason or was too much of a wimp to make an appearance. The dog had avoided her on previous visits to the house so hopefully that rang true today as well. She didn’t need any unexpected surprises.

She needed to prepare for her showdown with Ashley. Tara figured seeing Sebastian and Aiden unconscious would probably throw Ashley off her game a bit but she did not want to underestimate her foe.

 

“Make sure you bag and tag all these proof sheets on the coffee table.” Hayley barked orders to the CSU guys.

“Do you really think this is the same person?” Jameson asked Hayley.

Hayley shrugged, “Could be but this seems too rushed. All three victims were shot. At the other scenes only the male’s were shot, the female’s had their throats slit.”

“Detectives, you may want to see this.” one of the crime scene techs said.

Hayley and Jameson walked over and looked at the sheet of proofs the guy was holding up.

“Son of a bitch!” Jameson said.

Hayley immediately said, “We need to get to Ashley’s house, now!"

The sheet of proofs in question were pictures of Ashley and Sebastian. Some of the pictures had an X drawn over Ashley’s face. This seemed to be a likely message about the killers next destination, Ashley’s house. Her and her family were in immediate danger!


	50. Chapter 50

I parked on the street in front of the house and checked in with the officer outside my house. According to him the only person to enter the house was Aiden’s girlfriend and that was over an hour ago. A few seconds later his partner came back from a walk around the house and the block. He hadn’t seen anything unusual but did say that Kyla wanted me to call her.

I breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to know that the killer hadn’t made her move yet. I still had time, “Have you seen the BOLO for our suspect yet?”

“Not yet but sometimes the computer’s a bit slow.” the officer in the drivers seat said.

I nodded then added, “Call in and see if another unit can come out, if one hasn’t already been assigned that is. I think our suspect may try to pay me a visit tonight.”

“We’ll check on that Detective.” the same officer answered. “Don’t worry, we’re keeping our eyes peeled for anyone who doesn’t belong.” he finished with a confident smile.

His partner chimed in, “I think the ADA has been waiting for you. She’s been sitting in her car over there for about a half an hour.”

“Oh?” I questioned looking in the direction the officer was pointing. “It appears she is sitting over there, I’ll check into that myself. But on the most important subject at hand is my family’s safety so I plan on checking in with you guys every half hour.”

“You know that’s not necessary Detective. We’ll alert you if anything happens out here.” one of the officers said.

I smiled, “I know but it’s for my own piece of mind. It’s about five thirty now so I’ll talk to you guys at six unless something comes up.”

“Do you need a phone number?” the same officer asked.

“Keep your hand held on six.” I said pulling a walkie talkie from my pocket. I had enough sense earlier to grab it from the station earlier. “Talk to you at six.” I said as I walked away.

 

The killer watched expectantly as Ashley talked with the police officers. She had been waiting for the Detective to get home hoping the sedative she had given to Aiden and Sebastian would last long enough. She also hoped their pesky little dog would remain in hiding. Her final plan could not happen without Ashley’s presence. The killer had so many things to say to the detective before she put a bullet between her eyes.

 

I turned and walked towards Spencer’s car. What was it about blond hair, blue eyed women today? First Spencer, then Tara and now Spencer again. Okay it’s only been between two women but still. For a moment a thought crossed my mind and stopped me cold in my tracks. Didn’t a lot of serial killers like to insert themselves into the investigations of their crimes? I tried to recall the picture of Tara Winters but all I was seeing in my mind was Spencer’s face. Was my mind playing tricks on me? There were distinct differences in Tara and Spencer’s appearances, right? Someone would have pointed it out to me if they looked similar right, or was I just letting my paranoia drive me crazy?

I noticed Spencer get out of her car and wondered if I had enough time to pull my phone out and check the email before Spencer reached me. I decided to chance it and moved to get my phone.

“Don’t shoot Detective, I’m unarmed.” Spencer joked, holding up her hands to surrender. “I was just hoping to talk.”

“Oh no, I was just going for my phone, not my gun.” I replied as jokingly as I could muster.

“That’s a relief.” Spencer said with a smile. “Is it important or can we talk first? Before you get on your phone that is.”

“Sure we can talk.” I said pointing towards the table and chairs in the yard. I allowed myself to relax a little bit. If Spencer were somehow the killer at least I could keep her away from Aiden and Bash easily. And since the cop had recognized Aiden’s new girlfriend she probably wasn’t a threat either.

As we sat down Spencer immediately started talking, “Ashley I’m really sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to piss you off or anything.”

I shook my head, “It’s fine Spencer. You were just doing your job. And honestly I don’t think there’s a rule book on how to act when a cops ex girlfriend is accused of being a serial killer and said cop wants to talk to the accused.” I joked then said, “Besides we aren’t always gonna agree about everything. We’re bound to piss each other off from time to time.”

Spencer laughed, “I guess you’re right but I really don’t like pissing people off, especially you for some reason.”

“Well honestly it’s inevitable, everyone I know pisses me off now and again.” I answered with a smile then added, “If you hadn’t noticed, or learned yet, I have a pretty short fuse with a nasty temper behind it.”

“Oddly enough I have picked up on that Detective, but I will never intentionally try to release the beast.” Spencer replied jokingly.

“Release the beast, I like that.” I answered with a laugh. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

For a few minutes we sat in silence. I’m guessing neither of us really knew what to say next. I knew at some point I should address my attraction to Spencer but was this really the appropriate time? I mean we still had a killer on the loose and all.

Spencer finally broke the silence by standing up and saying, “Okay, well I’ll talk to you later?”

“Actually have you eaten lately?” I asked before I could thoroughly process what I was saying.

Spencer smiled, “Not since the McDonalds breakfast I grabbed between your house and mine.”

“Well Aiden invited me for dinner to meet his new girlfriend, wanna come along?” I offered.

Spencer eyed me up for a moment before replying. “Sure, why not? If nothing else I know your son is entertaining company and I know he likes me.” she finished with a laugh.

“Are you implying that I don’t like you Miss Carlin? Or that I’m not entertaining company?” I joked back, though honestly I was anxious to hear her answer.

“Well sometimes I’m not so sure if you like me or not.” She answered then quickly continued, “Which is sad since we haven’t know each other very long.”

“I can see how that’s sad.” I said with a laugh, trying to keep the joking mood going. “But don’t worry Spencer, I do like you.” I was silently praying she wasn’t involved with these murders.

“Good cause I like you too Ashley.” Spencer responded. She looked like she wanted to say more but decided against it.

“Shall we then?” I suggested figuring that was enough of that conversation for now.

“Yes we shall.” Spencer answered with a smile and stood. “Where are we going for dinner?”

I laughed, “Where else? Casa de Me. I’m sure Aiden’s mom made something he could just heat up so it will be edible. Possibly even good if he doesn’t burn it.”

“Um, Ashley, nobody answered when I knocked.” Spencer replied cautiously.

I shrugged, “Probably couldn’t hear you over the TV.” I said walking towards the door, “Next time ring the bell.”

“I did that too Ashley, a few times.” Spencer said, “I didn’t hear any noise, that’s why I figured you were meeting them at a restaurant.”

That stopped me in my tracks because anyone who rang the doorbell always heard at least one sound, “Did Zebbie bark?”

“I don’t think so.” Spencer answered.

I stalked towards her, “Think Spencer, did you hear the dog bark?”

She looked almost scared for a moment then she looked as if she was replaying the scene in her head. Her scared expression turned to worry as she said more confidently, “No Ashley, I didn’t hear her bark.”

“Shit!” was all I could say.

“Why is that a problem?” Spencer asked.

“That silly little dog barks at every doorbell, whether in person or on TV.” I said. “Something’s wrong in there.”

“What’s going on Ashley?” Spencer asked.

I looked in he eyes and instantly decided I needed to trust her, my suspicions be damned. I spoke quietly, “Spencer I need you to calmly walk to your car.” I said as I slipped my walkie talkie into her purse. “When you’re in your car us the walkie in your purse, on channel six, to tell those officer in the car there is something wrong in the house, I think. Tell them to wait two minutes. Give me a chance to assess the situation and secure the house. If I haven’ t come out in those tow minutes call for backup and get in there, okay?”

“You should have back up immediately Ashley.” Spencer said, the concern obvious in her voice.

“I don’t want to scare my family if I’m wrong.” I gave her a half hearted smile. “Now go!”

Lucky for me Spencer walked straight for her car. I turned back towards the house. With my gun in hand, safety off, I went for the door.

 

“Well that took long enough.” The killer thought as she saw Ashley send Spencer away. Though she really didn’t care if Spencer would have joined the party, she was glad to be facing Ashley alone. The killer moved towards her hiding spot in anticipation of Ashley entering the house. She heard the front door open and smiled, “Showtime!”

 

Spencer quickly relayed the information to the two officers. The news seemed to put them on edge but they agreed to Ashley’s two minute request.

After about thirty seconds Spencer said aloud, “This is going to be the longest two minutes of my life. Please let Ashley be overreacting.”

Only a few moments later the officer came over the walkie, “Um, Miss Carlin, we have a problem.”

Spencer immediately felt panicked, “What? What’s going on?”

“Well our computer finally picked up the BOLO Ashley told us about.” the officer said nervously.

Spencer could hear his partner anxiously talking away in the background. “And?”

“This woman in the picture is Aiden’s girlfriend. We’re calling in backup and getting ready to enter the house. We aren’t waiting for Ashley’s two minute window.” He said.

Before Spencer could process what eh officer had said an explosion racked the neighborhood.


	51. Chapter 51

As Hayley and Jameson pulled up to the Mastro home Jameson spoke up. “So we were wrong? About Carmen that is.”

Hayley looked and sounded pissed, “We don’t know that. This could just be a coincidence.”

“Hayley we’ve both been in homicide long enough to not rely on things being a coincidence.” Jameson offered.

Hayley shrugged, “You never know.”

“Whatever you say boss.” Jameson replied.

Hayley sighed and said, “Look, for my own sanity right now I need to believe that Carmen is our killer. Because if she’s not then there’s still a psycho out there ready to attack the only family I have.”

Jameson smiled, “I knew you had a thing for Ashley.”

“Not how you think.” Hayley admitted.

“Well are you gonna explain or leave that up in the air?” Jameson prodded.

“She’s my family. I love her but I will never be in love with her.” Hayley started. “Long story short I doubly disappointed my actual family which left me on my own at eighteen.”

Jameson waited for a few moments to see if Hayley would continue. When Hayley remained quiet Jameson asked, “How so?”

Hayley sighed then dove in, “My parents are rich and brilliant. They sent me to the best private schools since I was four. Needless to say when I told them I wanted to be a cop the say after my high school graduation they considered it beneath them and me. They wanted me to be an accomplished lawyer of doctor like them but I wanted to follow my own path.”

“Well this path obviously wasn’t just a rebellious phase, you’re one of the best detectives I’ve ever worked with so I’d say you made the right choice.” Jameson admitted. “And I respect you for making that choice. I’ve seen you’re apartment so I know you’re not still living off your parents money.”

Hayley laughed, “Yeah not so much. That part of the story is a direct result of the second disappointment.”

“Which was?” Jameson prodded.

“My being gay.” Hayley stated then after a moment explained, “My parents are extremely conservative and devoted Catholics.”

“Ahh.” Jameson said with a sympathetic nod.

“Both things came out at once and my parents threw me out of their house and their lives.” Hayley said sadly. “Then at the academy I met Ashley. She didn’t care about my history or who I slept with. We got along right off the bat. She helped me out back then and I will be forever in her debt. I’m not sure if I’d be where I am now without her. She welcomed me into her family which was definitely what I needed.”

Jameson just nodded. She wasn’t sure what to say. She had just learned more about Hayley than she had learned in the few years they had worked in homicide together.

Hayley spoke up, “Well enough of the personal shit, we have a crime scene to check out.” she said as she got out of the car.

As they signed into the crime scene Jameson asked the officer at the door, “So what have we got?”

The young officer gulped and replied, “It’s bad in there.”

Hayley and Jameson nodded to each other and Hayley spoke up, “We’ll determine that.”

As they walked into the living room Hayley could understand the young officers comment. Two adults and a child shot execution style was disturbing but she wasn’t sure if this was their killer.

“Not the same MO as the others.” Jameson commented. “At least not completely.”

“True,” Hayley said with a nod. “This seems rushed to me. Not like our killers usual scene. These three were obviously killed and staged here in the same room. There are random bloody footprints around, though only leading towards that room there, not away from.”

They followed the prints and discovered the room was a bathroom. Jameson spoke up, “This is weird. I’ve seen the pictures of the other scenes and they were so neat.”

“Very true. And look at the food prints. They’re not even, as if the person walks with a limp.” Hayley observed.

“Are you thinking a copy cat?” Jameson asked.

Hayley shrugged, “Anything is possible but I’m not sure.” Hayley was thinking about something Kyla mentioned from one of the other crime scenes. Someone at the scene had tracked uneven foot prints in part of the house. It wasn’t solid evidence but it leaned towards the same killer. She was about to say something more when her phone rang. She looked at who it was and said, “It’s the Captain, I’m gonna go outside. Take a look around and see if anything else jumps out at you.”

Hayley walked outside and into the backyard as she spoke, “Hey Captain.”

“What does it look like Williams?” he asked.

“Too soon to tell. Man, woman and child dead, staged but all three were shot. They were killed and staged in the same room which is different. There could be some trace evidence because it seems rushed and sloppy.” Hayley explained.

He then asked the obvious question, “Any obvious pictures missing?"

“I actually can’t tell Captain, there are boxes all over the place. Looks like they were in the process of moving in or out.”

“That’s unfortunate.” he said with a sigh. “There’s more Hayley.”

“Another family?” Hayley asked hoping there wasn’t.

“Not yet.” He said confidently, “It’s actually good news, Ashley has another potential suspect. Tara Winters.”

Hayley was surprised. “The other photographer from Carmen’s team?”

“One in the same except the real Tara Winters died fiver years ago in Chicago.”

“That’s not good.” Hayley replied. She thought back to when they went to the portrait studio and realized the woman in question had a slight limp, she began to feel worried. If this woman was the killer and she killed this family then she may have rushed because she had somewhere else to be. Hayley could only think of one place and the idea scared the shit out of her, she prayed she was wrong.

Hayley’s thoughts were interrupted by Jameson yelling from an open window, “Hayley, I may have something.”

“Hold on a sec Captain.” Hayley said and ran in the house through an open patio door. Her recent thoughts making her eager to find proof one way or the other. “What do you got?”

Jameson just pointed to the coffee table. Spread out were about a dozen sheets of pictures, proof sheets to be more specific. Some were of the victims on the couch but not all of them.

Hayley’s stomach dropped when she saw the proof sheets of Ashley, Aiden and Sebastian which were pictures from the house. “Captain, I think the killer is heading for Ashley!”

There was only background noise on the other end of the phone so Hayley hung up and turned to Jameson, “We gotta go now!”

“Right behind you.” Jameson said and quickly called dispatch for back up. If Hayley was right they were heading for a very dangerous situation.

As Hayley started the car she said, “There’s a new suspect.”

“Who?” Jameson asked as she put her seat belt on.

“Tara Winters.”

“From the portrait studio? Where did that come from?” Jameson asked, confusion obvious on her face.

“A hunch from Ashley. Turns out the real Tara Winters is dead and this woman was using her identity.” Hayley informed her.

Jameson quickly switched from confused to pissed, “Are you fucking kidding me? Then who the fuck was that woman at the portrait studio?” Jameson shook her head then added, “Oh shit, she had a limp. Said she tweaked her knee a few weeks ago.”

As Hayley started driving her phone rang. “Capt, we’re…”

He spoke over her, “We just got word of an explosion near Ashley’s house. Get there now!”

“Already on our way Capt. The killer left proof sheets of Ash’s family at the scene.” Hayley replied.

“Back up is in route but you’ll probably beat them there.” The Captain informed her. “Asses the scene but proceed with extreme caution. I think it goes without saying that this suspect has become extremely unpredictable and is considered armed and dangerous. There’s no way to tell what you will be walking into.”


	52. Chapter 52

I had never felt as wired and as focused as I did at this very moment. I had two minutes to secure y own house, well Aiden’s part of the house since I figured it was unlikely anyone would be upstairs in my little apartment. Hopefully I would find Aiden and Bash playing in the basement with Zebbie. Though the dog normally avoided going into the basement, she went wherever her people were especially Sebastian. That dog had been my son’s shadow since the day we brought her home. I found my mind wandering too much into the past and I needed to focus on the present hoping all three were fine. At this moment I couldn’t let the alternative cross my mind.

I entered the house slowly, scanning the kitchen for anything out of place. It was eerie how quiet it was but logically if no one was home like Spencer thought it would be quiet. I made my way to the living room, Aiden’s room and Bash’s room. I looked in closets, under beds and found nothing unusual except that no one was here. Maybe they took Zebbie for a walk and the cops outside didn’t see them. If they took the alley it was possible.

Even though things seemed normal I was still on edge as I made my way back to the kitchen so I could check the basement. I noticed when I walked in that the door was closed but I expected that. Only a few hours ago Aiden and I had locked Cain down there. I stood in front of the door for a moment and took a deep breath.

I thought about calling Aiden’s cell phone to see where he was. It was such an obvious thing to do I felt stupid for not thinking of it before. But if Aiden and Sebastian were being held by a crazy serial killer calling might not be the best plan so I dismissed the idea. Then it dawned on me that the volume on my phone was on, that was dumb. If someone called or texted me I’d lose the element of surprise. I reached into my pocket and it was empty. I had left the phone on the table outside, shit. I turned to go get it then stopped. If I go outside then the officers will think the house is secure and I was overacting, but I had not checked the basement. I was torn.

 

The killer watched Ashley walk through the house on her computer. After she had drugged Aiden and Sebastian she had set up hidden camera’s throughout the house so she could monitor any movement upstairs from the basement.

She was sitting between the boys as she watched. “Well I think Ashley has discovered the truth about Tara Winters.” she giggled as she whispered. “Though you boys know nothing about the identity I was using. You just know me as Sasha Miller, the hot and slightly older girl from the kickboxing gym all those years ago.”

The killer, Sasha, watched eagerly as Ashley made her way back to the kitchen. “You know Aiden, given her track record with women I bet Ashley never thought your past would be so lethal to her.” She smiled and kissed him before heading to her hiding spot under the stairs. The time had come for her to eliminate the only obstacle in her way to claiming her perfect family.

 

I decided to check the basement, I had to know. I opened the door and flipped the light switch, of course nothing happened. The switch only worked about half the time and normally it didn’t matter because there were other lights down there. But right now I was pissed that I never had that fixed.

I slowly descended the stairs, straining to see as much as I could with every step. About three quarters of the way down I could get a good view of part of the basement and my heart sank.

Going against every bit of training I had ever received I dropped my gun to my side and ran down the last few stairs. When I reached the floor I yelled out, “Aiden! Sebastian! Wake up!” But they didn’t move at all in the chairs they were tied into. I ran directly to my son but before I could touch him, to see if he was still alive, an unfamiliar voice stopped me cold.

“Welcome home Ashley.” said the unfamiliar and calm voice. Then I heard the safety of a gun click off. “I think that’s close enough.”

I turned to the voice with my gun leading. I stopped when I was facing the blond woman from the picture. Even though her hair was much darker now than in the picture I knew this was the woman I had been looking for.

“Slide your weapon towards the stairs Detective.” she commanded.

I hesitated, trying to get a fix on the situation. The cop in me was screaming to find a way to get the upper hand. But the mother in me pleaded to do whatever necessary to protect my son.

This woman sensed my hesitation and said, “I know how to handle a gun Ashley but sometimes I miss.” As she said this she moved the gun’s aim over my shoulder, aiming directly at Sebastian. “Your dear Sebastian is a total wild card here. Do you want your son to live or die Ashley?”

The look in this woman’s eyes gave nothing away. Obviously I knew she had no problem killing children. She was putting my son’s life in my hands knowing what I’d do. I slid my gun across the floor towards the stairs and put my hands up.

“Well I’m glad we could come to an understanding.” The woman said with a smirk.

“Who are you? And what do you want with my family?” I blurted out.

The woman continued to smirk at me, “Well that’s a bit of a story to answer both those questions but I’ll tell you Ashley because you see this will not be your family for very much longer.”

I decided to try the bold route and forcefully asked, “How can you be so sure?”

“Because Aiden is mine. And maybe Sebastian too. I’m sure after his mother is dead he will look to me, an innocent victim as well, as a loving mother.” she stated confidently.

Before I could respond I heard an explosion, faint but unmistakable. I could tell it was close but I had no clue what it was.

“Well it seems we don’t have much time left.” The killer said coolly. “This pesky serial killer is evolving. Moved onto bombing a cop car of all things.”

Later my heart would ache for those poor officers, I was sure of that, but right now I was focused on the situation in the basement. “But you’re the killer, right?”

“That will be our little secret Ashley.” She said as she walked towards me.

I immediately noticed her limping. This could be my ticket to overpowering the crazy woman with the gun but didn’t Kyla say something about a limp? As these thoughts ran through my head the woman began talking again.

“I’m good Ashley, don’t under estimate me. I have been playing you and your colleagues since I came into town.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Aiden is mine. No more no less.” She said with a shrug.


	53. Chapter 53

When Hayley and Jameson arrived at Ashley’s house they saw one car and what appeared to be a smoldering car parked in front. They also saw Ashley’s car parked across the street.

“Holy shit!” Jameson said as she started typing on the computer.

“What are you checking?” Hayley asked as she looked towards the house. She was looking for any sign of life through the windows but everything appeared still. That was not what she was hoping for.

“Checking the license plate on the car that’s not a pile of burning ruble.” Jameson quickly answered.

“I’ll make it easy for you, that’s Spencer Carlin’s car.” Hayley said.

Jameson looked confused and said, “The ADA? What the hell is she doing here?”

“I have no idea.” Hayley said as she was dialing Ashley’s phone number. She knew it was unlikely that Ashley would answer but she had to try.

“You don’t think the new ADA has something to do with this do you?” Jameson asked.

“I hope not. Let’s go.” Hayley commanded, she couldn’t sit still any longer.

“Shouldn’t we wait for back up?” Jameson questioned as she got out of the car following Hayley.

Hayley turned back and said, “Yeah sure, you can wait for back up. I’m gonna take a look in Spencer’s car and at the wreck of the car over there.”

Jameson decided to follow Hayley. They both approached the gold Chevy Tracker cautiously and looked in the windows. There was no one in the vehicle so Jameson asked, “Are you sure this is the ADA’s car?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Hayley replied then turned to the other car and saw someone by it. “Stop Police!” she yelled.

The person walked into view, “Don’t shoot it’s just me.”

“Hi Kyla, who called you in?” Hayley asked, concerned she had missed an update.

“No one called me, I was home. I came out when I heard the explosion but went back to get my kit. Where’s Ashley?” Kyla asked.

Hayley glanced at the house then quickly back at Kyla which said enough, she vocalized the rest, “We have a new suspect. One with a limp.”

Kyla quickly closed the gap between them and looked Hayley in the eye, “You get in there and bring my family out unharmed, do you hear me?”

Hayley nodded and signaled Jameson to follow. They walked towards the house slowly, both with their guns in hand.

Jameson asked, “So do we thing Spencer is in the house too?”

“I’m assuming yes.” Hayley replied.

As they approached the door Jameson spoke again, “So just to review is the ADA a good guy or a bad guy? I know it sounds like a dumb question but…”

“A valid one.” Hayley finished her statement. “Honestly I don’t know at the moment.” She paused at the front door.

Jameson, feeling antsy asked, “What do we do?”

Hayley thought for a moment then said, “Don’t shoot Ashley, Aiden or Sebastian. Besides that I have no idea who is good or bad. We’re going in blind so don’t aim for those we know are the good guys. Anyone else that moves you can aim for non lethal shots unless provoked.”

As Hayley opened the door they heard tow sounds that simultaneously made their hearts drop and made them spring into action.

 

My number one goal was to get this woman’s focus away from Aiden and Sebastian. So when she prodded me to move to another part of the basement I went willingly. There was a lot of junk down here so I looked for anything I could use as a weapon.

“Honestly Ashley, you have to realize you are not going to survive this. There’s no use trying to find something to fight me. If you’re good I may even let you say good-bye to your son before I kill you.” The woman said with a smirk.

“Why are you doing this? I don’t even know who you are yet, obviously I already know your name isn’t really Tara Winters.” I said in a conversational manner. I knew I needed to keep this woman distracted until I cam up with a plan. Besides it would be nice to know who this psycho actually was.

“How rude of me not to introduce myself. My real name is Sasha Miller. As I stated before Aiden is who I am meant to have a family with and you’re in the way.” she stated simply.

“I’m not threat to you and Aiden’s relationship, I’m gay. No interest romantically in any men, especially Aiden.” I said as I came to a stop by what looked like a nest of blankets. When I saw something move in it I realized why Cain was acting funny, she had her kittens although Cain was no where to be seen. On that thought I hadn’t seen Zebbie either. But I had to focus right now on the three humans who needed help: Aiden, Sebastian, and myself. I’d worry about our dog, our cat and these defenseless kittens when I had the edge of this crazy woman whose name sounded familiar but I couldn’t place from where.

“Oh but you are Ashley. Having you in the picture makes this family, my family, just as dysfunctional if not more than all those families I dispensed of on my way here. Step parents alone equal dysfunction but then add in the fact that you’re gay and proud of that, you’ve created the worst possible situation for your son. And I am here now to save him and my beloved Aiden from you.” Sasha explained calmly.

“Really? You killed all those people just because their families weren’t perfect? What gives you the right to decide which families are dysfunctional and which aren’t? The Daniel’s family were good people, they were my friends and you killed them because they didn’t fit your mold? What happens if Aiden and Sebastian don’t live up to your standards? Are you just gonna kill them too if they’re not perfect enough?” My rant of questions loomed in the air for what felt like an eternity.

Logically I knew it wasn’t smart to antagonize the crazy woman with the gun but I couldn’t help it, her ridiculous reasoning had actually hit a nerve with me. One of my biggest concerns about finally coming out was Sebastian’s welfare. I was scared to death having a gay mom would scar him for life but by all accounts he was a happy, well adjusted kid so far. Now my biggest concern was keeping him alive and away from Sasha.

As if she ready my mind Sasha said, “I know you’re worried about Sebastian’s future Ashley. But I will raise him as if he was my own. He’ll grown up with a happy, loving and stable home.”

I was about to make a semi smart ass comment when I heard sirens outside. “Well that’s about all the time you have.”

Sasha’s look turned serious, almost angry. “We don’t have much time left Ashley and there are things I want to tell you.”

“Okay but you know they are going to be barging in here soon.”

“Ashley shut up or the next sound will be a bullet between your eyes.”

That made me keep my mouth shut and sent my mind searching double time for a way to save my family.


	54. Chapter 54

Spencer watched in horror as the police car, containing the officers she was just speaking with, exploded into flames. Miraculously n debris flew towards her car. She sat and stared at the smoldering wreckage for a few minutes before she could shake herself out of the shock that had encompassed her.

Once fully alert, the first thing she did was call 911. She rattled off an abbreviated version of the complicated situation and made sure to tell the dispatcher to inform the homicide division of what was happening. As she spoke she realized how crazy she sounded but she didn’t care. Unfortunately she had to waste time explaining the situation first to the police dispatch then to the fire dispatch. After the marathon of conversations it truly hit her just how long Ashley had been inside the house, nearly ten minutes. She had no clue who was in the house besides Ashley but obviously something was very wrong because Ashley was still inside.

Spencer wrestled with what she should do next. Logically she should wait outside for the police but how long would that take? She was worried about what may be happening to Aiden, Sebastian and especially Ashley. Some psycho could be in the house slowly killing the small but loving family, while she sat out here waiting. Going into the house unarmed was not the smartest idea but she saw no other options.

She also decided if she made it out of this situation alive she would take Madison up on her offer to teach Spencer how to use a gun. Madison was a gun enthusiast, her father had taught her how to shoot at a very young age; shotguns for hunting and handguns for personal protection. For years Madison had tried to convince Spencer she needed to learn to use a gun but Spencer was apprehensive. The few times they had gone to the shooting range Spencer proved herself a terrible shot hitting paper maybe once on a nine round magazine, only one time getting within an inch of the actual target. Since the conceal and carry laws had passed in Wisconsin, Madison had renewed her efforts a bit but Spencer had stalled. She figured she’d never be in the situation where she’d need a gun.

“I should never say never.” Spencer said aloud as she shook her head.

None the less she got out of her car, abandoned sure safety and slowly headed for the front door. She listened carefully for any noises as she got closer but the house was as silent as it had been before Ashley returned home. Only now she knew at least two people were inside.

 

“You know Ashley, my parents and brother were extremely dysfunctional when I was a kid. Then one night a savior came and freed me from them. His name was Peter Jones. He took care of me and showed me the way.” Sasha explained.

“So this Peter Jones guy kidnapped you when you were a kid?” I asked. It would make sense. She had probably been a normal cute little girl, guy comes along and snatches her, threatens to kill her family if she tries to leave and corrupts her brain. He made her into his sick and twisted little pet.

“Not exactly Detective.” Sasha replied with a weird grin. “Peter came into my childhood home one afternoon, killed my parents and brother then took me in as his apprentice.”

“That’s why your real name sounded familiar. You are the missing daughter from California, aren’t you Sasha?” I asked, anything to buy time.

“Yes, I am from California. How did you know about that?” Sasha asked.

“The FBI brought your family’s case and a few other similar cases to our attention during our investigation of the murders here. The ones you committed obviously.” I explained.

“Obvious to you maybe but your colleagues will never know. Anyways that’s where I met Aiden, in California that is.” Sasha said as if I should have known this fact then continued. “Peter saw how my family was destroying me and he saved me. He taught me how to continue his work before he found his perfect family. The last thing he told me was one day I would find my perfect mate too, but little did I know I already had. It took me a few years to gain the courage and self confidence to find Aiden but I am here now and I will take my rightful place by his side.”

“But Aiden lived his whole life in Milwaukee, so how the hell did you ever meet him?” I asked. I knew she said she met him in California and I was pretty sure when too but all I was thinking was keep her talking till someone comes. It couldn’t be long now, I heard the siren so someone was on the scene.

“He spent a summer in California with his uncle. We met at the gym and spent most of our time together. I just knew we were destined to be together but I was not ready to leave Peter then, I had so many things left to learn. But now is the time Ashley. It is time for you to die.” Sasha smiled coolly pointing her gun at my head.

At this point I had no idea where my gun was and I hadn’t formed any good plan to get me and my family out of this situation. I could try to just bowl her over but crazy people can be deceptively strong, I’d learned that lesson the hard way in the past. Besides, I’d seen her handy work so I knew she was no weakling yet she had an issue with her knee so how could she defend herself on her own. Words were my best option with he at this point. I blurted out, “Don’t you think he’ll question being unconscious and me being dead? In the basement of his own house of all places?”

“He’ll never remember being knocked out. And as far as your demise well that scary serial killer broke into the basement while you were down here. He attacked you but I miraculously scared him off and saved the family. Unfortunately I was too late to save you.” she said proudly.

“You blew up the cop car outside so no one would know you were already here.” I stated, I was starting to put her twisted pieces together. “But why are they down here?” I pointed to my boys. “How do you explain that to them? They knew you were here.”

“You don’t think I have a story to go along with that too? I had to run out for bread for dinner. I retuned after the serial killer had drugged them and staged them down here. Obviously after you were dead as well.” Sasha said with a smile.

“Okay but how did the killer get in the house without the cops outside noticing?” I asked.

“You don’t think I already staged that too? You underestimate me Ashley.” Sasha laughed. “I already broke that locked door behind you.”

Now she tells me there was a possible escape route, though I would have never left my boys, “So you’ve done all this on your own? Never took an apprentice of your own?”

“How interesting that you ask, I can see your detective brain is still churning away. That is for me to know and you to die not knowing Ashley, we can’t stall any longer.” Sasha began to sound annoyed. “You’ve already wasted enough time with all your questions and conversation attempts. You can’t even give your beloved son a good-bye hug and kiss before I kill you.”

I looked up past Sasha and saw Spencer holding a gun, well my gun actually. This turn of events definitely baffled me quite a bit but it was good to know the explosion had nothing to do with her. But confusion overwhelmed the joy. I hadn’t heard anyone come in the house or come down the stairs. Spencer was stealthier than I expected of a lawyer. I also couldn’t remember if Sasha had done anything to hide my gun. But now it was in Spencer’s somewhat shaky hands pointed at me and the crazy woman.

Before I could say a word a few things happened almost faster than my brain could process. I heard the sound of the safety click off which made Sasha turn to face Spencer as well. I then saw two small black figures jump, I assumed it was Zebbie and Cain. I heard Sasha scream as the animals latched on to her arms, one on each, then I heard gun shots from two different directions. The shots sent the animals running; Zebbie to Sebastian and Cain to her nest.

I could tell Sasha and I both fell to the ground nearly simultaneously. It took a few moments for the pain in my body to actually register. As soon as it did the world went black.

 

Sasha felt a burning pain in her chest as she fell to the ground. She also felt the teeth that had sunk into her arms and caused her to drop her gun. She turned her head towards Aiden and Sebastian after she was on the floor. She had been so close. She felt her consciousness slipping away. This was not how this was supposed to end. Peter swore she would find happiness in perfection and she had promised her protégé he would find that perfect family as well. But she had been struck down just before her future had become picture perfect.


	55. Chapter 55

“Mommy wake up already!” I heard my son say insistently but I just couldn’t seem to open my eyes. I wanted to but everything was just so hazy.

“Sebastian you have to be patient. Mommy was hurt pretty badly. She needs to rest as much as she can.” I heard Aiden said, it sounded a little clearer but still fairly distant.

“But her eyelids moved a bit Daddy, I think she’s ready to wake up.” Sebastian said confidently.

How long had I been out that my son sounded so concerned. The last thing I remembered was Spencer firing my gun twice in my direction. Then Sasha, psycho serial killer and I falling to the floor.

Suddenly relief swept over me. The last time I had seen Aiden and Sebastian they were passed out in the basement. They had looked lifeless in those chairs but since I heard them talking they must be okay, they were alive. Obviously I was alive too, but I just couldn’t seem to open my damn eyes. I didn’t know why my eyes weren’t opening and it was pissing me off. I just kept thinking, “Open eyes, open!” After about the twentieth time they finally opened though all I saw was the ceiling of a strange room. I tried to sit up but someone pushed me back down.

“Easy there partner.” Hayley said. “Aiden will you go get the doctor?”

“Sure thing!” I heard Aiden say then I heard a door open then close.

I tried to say something to Hayley but found I couldn’t talk very easily.

“Relax Ash, you have a tube down your throat. You shouldn’t try to talk yet.” Hayley informed me. “Just wait for the doctor.”

I didn’t want to wait though, I wanted to talk now. I needed to know what the fuck was going on. Why was I here? What happened to Sasha? Hell, what day was it?

Luckily Aiden was fast because before I could physically try to pull the tube out the door opened.

“Hello Ashley.” said a voice that sounded vaguely familiar yet I couldn’t place it. “You definitely woke up sooner than we expected.”

I pointed to the tube and acted like I was going to pull it out.

The doctor luckily got the hint, “I wouldn’t advise taking that out on your own Ashley. It would be quite painful and you could cause permanent damage to your vocal chords.”

I managed to croak out a painful response, “Out now!”

Hayley laughed and said, “May as well take it out doc, she’s gotta start bitching sometime. Unless you dope her up really well and quickly, she’ll likely pull it out herself.”

The doctor looked me in the eyes then sighed, “Alright, you win.” Then he turned to Hayley, “Give me a few minutes to get her cleaned up and checked out then she can have visitors again.”

It took twenty minutes for the doctor to double and triple check every word and number on the chart, then every machine I was hooked up to. Finally with a slight frown he took out the damn tube.

“You know Ashley, most people with your kind of chest injury stay out of it for at least twice as long as you did. But I have to say you are healing remarkably well.”

“Thank you!” I whispered. My throat felt raw. “What happened exactly? How long have I been out?”

“Your most serious wound was a shot through your upper left lung. The bullet slightly grazed your heart and lodged in the back of your rib cage. You’ve been in a medically induced coma for a week.” he said and walked out of the room.

The first person to come back in was Hayley. “How are you feeling partner?” she asked tentatively.

“Sore. What happened? Bash is okay, right?” I rattled off.

“Yeah, him and Aiden are out in the hall. Spencer and Kyla are here too.” Hayley said with a smile.

I took a couple breaths then asked, “And that crazy bitch Sasha?”

“Here at the hospital recovering, handcuffed to her bed with twenty four hour guards. Apparently Cain and Zebbie didn’t appreciate her pointing a gun at you or drugging the boys. They knocked her off balance enough that her bullet wounds were non lethal.” Hayley explained.

“Well I guess it’s a good thing neither of our wounds were fatal. Though I would have been able to get over it if hers had been.” I admitted.

Hayley forced a smile but didn’t say anything.

“What?” I knew she was deciding if she should say what she was thinking.

With a slightly shaky voice Hayley said, “Your injury was very close Ash.”

“Are the animals okay?” I quickly asked, changing the subject. It was painful to speak but I needed a happier topic.

“Yes, all five of your animals are fine.” Hayley said, seeming relieved by the change in subject. She then added, probably in response to my confused expression. “Cain had three healthy kittens.”

“Oh.” I said and nodded slightly. “So back to my original question. What exactly happened? The last few moments before I passed out are fuzzy. I’m not even sure how many shots were fired.”

“Honestly I don’t know for sure. Jameson and I entered the house and heard the gun shots. When we ran into the basement you were passed out and bleeding, as was Sasha.” Hayley explained, the emotion threatening to make her voice crack, again. “You had me worried partner. I thought you were dead.”

“Can’t get rid of me that easy.”” I whispered.

“True, you’re too stubborn to go out like that.” Hayley said with a slight smile. “Spencer is probably the better one to ask about the details.”

“Before that I feel the need for a Bash hug.” I said with a smile, “Where’s my son?”

“One sec.” Hayley said with a huge smile and left the room. Merely seconds later Sebastian flew into the room yelling. “Mommy, you’re awake!”

The voice that followed him was not who I expected, “Bash be careful, your mom still has some pretty big boo boo’s.” Spencer warned as Sebastian climbed onto my bed.

Sebastian froze. I could see tears forming in his eyes as he asked, “Are you okay mommy?”

“I’ll be fine baby, just sore for a bit. But I could really use a big hug from my little man.” I croaked with a smile.

He laid down by my side, put his arm around me and said, “I was so scared you wouldn’t be okay mommy.”

I kissed the top of his head and said, “I’ll be fine little man, no need to worry about me. I’m tough.”

He sat up and asked, “Can I sleep here tonight with you?”

I shook my head, “No baby, somebody needs to check on Cain and her kittens. Can you keep watch over Cain and her babies for me till I get home little man?”

He nodded his head. “I have been mommy. Cain seems happy she can sleep with me but Zebbie is sad cause she can’t.”

“Well then I better get home soon so Zebbie can be happy again. But until then I know the kittens are in good hands.” I said with a smile.

Bash gave me a slightly worried look, “I can still visit you while you’re here, right mommy?”

“You better. And bring pictures of the kittens for me to see too.” I said with a smile, willing my voice to sound stronger than it was.

“Daddy has some on his phone. I’ll go get it! They are so cute!” Sebastian said as he jumped off the bed and ran out of the room before I could say anything.

I laughed then looked up at Spencer, “How are you doing?”

She smiled slightly, though her eyes showed guilt. “Far better than you, I’m sorry.”

“I don’t know what you’re sorry for Spencer. What you did was amazing.” I said with a reassuring smile. “Do you feel up to talking about what happened? I’m really fuzzy on the details.”

“Oh, about me stupidly thinking I could save the day?” Spencer said rolling her eyes and sat in the chair next to my bed.

I reached my hand out and put it on her arm, “Spencer, you saved me and the boys.”

“Right.” she replied with a laugh. “I nearly got you killed Ashley.”

“Possibly, but if you hadn’t intervened that woman would have killed me for sure. I see a huge difference there.” I said.

“I just panicked. There was the explosion, then you never came out of the house. I was scared something had happened to you.” Spencer said, tears now flowing down her face.

“It’s okay Spencer.” I whispered offering a smile then joked, “But before you walk into another crime scene can I take you to a shooting range? Your aim needs a little work.”

Spencer actually laughed through the tears, “I know! I’ve always been a terrible shot.”

I didn’t know if it was the drugs likely still in my system that prompted my next question but for some reason I was feeling bold. “When I get out of here can I take you to dinner?”

“You don’t have to thank me or repay me Ashley. I am responsible for half of the gunshots you sustained.” she replied sadly and looked down at the floor.

“Actually I wasn’t thinking about thanks or repayment. I was thinking more along the lines of a first date.” I said with a smile.

Spencer look up at me with the hint of a smile, “I’d love to.”

Then she stood up, leaned in and kissed me on the lips. The first thought that ran through my mind was that I was glad the doctor had turned off the heart monitor.


End file.
